


Sing for Absolution

by SilverWolfPen, Tripower



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Comedy, Drama, F/F, Gods, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hades!Luz, Illustrations, Lumity, Nudity, Persephone!Amity, The others you will see in time, They are gods - they are ageless, Torture, implied sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29015817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWolfPen/pseuds/SilverWolfPen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tripower/pseuds/Tripower
Summary: The Underworld is a realm of darkness and mystery, where the dead reside and the darkest of hearts are tortured for all eternity. A place where no soul has ever returned, and the greatest secrets of the world are locked away. It is the least likely place for a goddess to be found hiding from the prying eyes of Olympus, especially when she happens to be the Goddess of Spring.Story and art by TripowerWritten by SilverWolfPen
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Boscha/Skara (The Owl House), Lilith Clawthorne/Camila Noceda
Comments: 94
Kudos: 382





	1. Flight of Spring

**Author's Note:**

> All because of a joke about Luz in gladiator armor.

The Goddess of Spring was running for her life.

Every step she took sent a stab of pain up her leg, her fine thin sandals scuffing the soles of her feet. Her lungs burned in her chest as she panted for air, her breath hissing between her teeth. The saltiness of her sweat stung her eyes as she wildly searched for an escape from her pursuers. A root snagged the toes of her right foot and she pitched forward, barely able to throw out her arms in time to catch herself as she fell. Wincing as she struggled to stand, she glanced back at the traitorous tree to watch it lower the root back to the ground.

So, even her mother’s dominion, her own home, had turned against her. Fine by her. Snarling, the goddess forced herself to stand. Her once-fine magenta silk chiton was now stained with dirt and grass, and with the blood streaming from the many cuts lining her arms and legs. The hem clung to her legs, sticking to the mix of sweat and iron, tangling about her as she tried to continue her escape. Strands of her hair, which she kept pulled back, had come undone to hang about her face, flashing a bright green in the moonlight. A beacon to her pursuers.

A metallic bellow and a crash was enough of a warning for her to know that the golems her mother had sent after her were closing in. She had already used much of her power to thin their numbers and gain a head start, but the problem with golems was there were always more to summon. And her mother had an army.

Something whizzed through the air and the goddess ducked just in time for the arrow to barely nick her shoulder before embedding itself in a nearby tree. A thin cut trailed over her skin, more blood to stain the ground, but in truth it was not as bad as any of the other punishments her mother had put her through. More arrows flew through the air, forcing her to dodge as she struggled to anticipate their trajectory. Seeing a break in the trees, the goddess used the last ounce of her strength and bolted for the opening, knowing that once she was out of the forest that was her mother’s domain, she might actually have a chance. But then the shaft of a spear slammed into her leg and the force of it jolted her forward, out of the trees.

Her body crashed and rolled through the tall grass, smearing a path of golden ichor for the golems to follow. Gasping, she pushed herself off of her stomach to stand, but the moment she tried to put weight on her left leg, white-hot pain ignited through her body, and she screamed. Tears burned her eyes as she turned to see the bronze spear which had embedded itself through the back of her calf, its sharpened tip jutting out beside her shin. Nausea rolled in her stomach at the sight of her own flesh broken like the gruesome petals of a flower made of muscle and blood. Heavy feet pounded down the hill and came to a deafening halt, surrounding her in a circle of swords and spears. Swallowing, the goddess lifted her burning amber eyes to the six remaining constructs.

“Goddess,” a deep voice rumbled and a huge figure appeared behind the small ring, his face hidden behind an avian mask with a long, curved beak. “This is completely irrational behavior. Please, let us return you to Olympus and we will see to it you are treated fairly.”

Lips set in a determined line, her fingers brushed the spear shaft still sticking out from the back of her leg and she winced when she felt it jar her flesh. “You and I both know, Wrath, that is not going to happen.”

“Your mother sent us to bring you back home.”

“My mother,” she spat. “Sent you to kill me. I have ‘disobeyed her for the last time’, those were her exact words. I’m done playing her game of politics and favor, done trying to win her approval. So, if you want to return me to my mother, you’re going to have to drag me back.”

With a grunt, the construct lifted a single meaty hand which shifted into the form of a massive warhammer. The eyes of his mask glinted in the silver moonlight. “That’s the idea.” The warhammer slammed to the ground, but the goddess quickly rolled aside.

A scream tore loose from her throat as the movement wrenched the spear from her leg, causing more precious blood to pour from the open wound. Grasping the spear with bloody fingers, the goddess slammed the butt into the grass and used it to pull herself to shaky feet. Swaying slightly, she swung the weapon and the jagged point swiped the face of the closest golem. The creature stumbled back in surprise, giving her an opening to ram the spear into the exposed throat.

Pure mercury spewed from the metal helm as its glowing golden eyes went dark and the construct collapsed in a heap. The goddess tried to pull the spear from the body, but the injury in her leg made her slow. Weak, as her mother would say.

 _No, don’t think like that!_ Gritting her teeth, she ripped the spear free and spun it, blocking the strike of another golem’s blade. She knew they were taking their time with her, going at her one at a time to wear her ragged. Now that she was injured, it would be quick and easy work to simply defeat her and tell her mother that there was nothing they could do to stop her. Well, if that was how it was going to end, she would make sure she went down fighting.

The spear flashed in the night as she blocked, stabbed, and spun the weapon to fend off the golems, her eyes darting around as she tried to keep track of how many were left. She brought down a second with a thrust to the chest, and a third was stabbed clean through the face. It was with the fourth construct that she felt her grasp on the spear slacken and when Wrath swung his warhammer hand in a swift uppercut, the shaft of the weapon snapped in two, the force jarring her. Pain seared up her left arm and a sickening crunch filled her ears as her whole arm dropped limp to her side. It was only the fact that the construct stood over her that the goddess refused to scream out, choosing to hold her bloodied and broken arm to her chest as she glared up at his towering frame. Her vision wavered, but she would not let him see her cower, not if this was really to be the end.

Growling, the construct raised his hand as it warped into a wicked scimitar blade. “Goodbye, Goddess of Spring.”

“Hey!”

Light exploded against Wrath’s chest, throwing the massive golem into a tree. The two final constructs whipped their heads around in time for a single figure to leap out of the shadows. Though she struggled to keep her eyes open, the goddess could not help but gape at the tall, lean warrior who seemed to dart in and out of the battle as though made of the very darkness surrounding them. With a staff clutched in their right hand and a wicked sword in their left, the figure dealt devastating damage to the remaining constructs with surprising ease. The goddess blinked in confusion as she desperately clung to consciousness. Perhaps it was a trick of the moonlight or the encroaching darkness at the edges of her vision, but she could have sworn one end of the end of the staff was split in two. 

The two golems roared as they tried to find an opening to catch their assailant, but the warrior was too fast, seemingly flitting in and out of sight. Fire burned along the staff to reduce one golem to ash and the other exploded into dust when the warrior sliced through its neck. Turning, the warrior stared at the goddess on the ground and brown eyes flashed with concern beneath the silver and black helm, shadowy plume billowing dramatically.

Sheathing their sword, the warrior knelt beside her. “Are you alright?” The voice was muffled by the helm, but it was surprisingly light and held a distinct tone the goddess could not place.

Before she could respond, a bellow made them look up to see Wrath charging straight for the warrior, both his hands now formed into scimitar blades. Spinning the staff, the warrior planted the sharp tips into the ground and swung around to plant a solid kick into the constructs’s temple, knocking off his mask. The massive creature tumbled to the side, sinking his blades into the earth to catch himself. Snarling, his beady black eyes glared at the warrior and his fangs snapped the air.

“Who are you?”

Whatever the warrior said was stolen on the night wind and the goddess slumped painfully to the ground, her strength depleted. The warrior’s next words surprised her though, and she lifted her head to bear witness.

“Now eat this, sucker!” The warrior dropped to one knee, their staff held over their shoulder, and a blast of fire erupted from the dual tip, launching Wrath off the ground and sending him careening out over the forest. A dull boom echoed from the trees where the golem had landed. The goddess heard a smug snort from the warrior as they stood, spinning the spear in their hands before setting it back down. She must have made a sound because the warrior turned to look at her and was at her side in an instant.

“Goddess, can you hear me?” Their voice swam in her ears. She could feel their hands delicately patting her body, checking the various injuries she was sporting. When she felt them prod at her leg and arm, she gasped and heard the warrior mutter a curse under their breath. “Styx, this looks bad.”

Whimpering, she peeled one eyelid open to stare up at the brown gaze looking down at her with worry. Shadows were filling her vision as she felt the gravity of exhaustion pull her down.

“Goddess!” A pair of arms carefully slid under her frame, startling her at the sensation of being lifted. “And, scoop!”

Her head dropped against a metal breastplate as the arms around her held her close. Warm breath ghosted over her face as the warrior looked down at her.

“Stay with me, Goddess. I’ll get you somewhere safe. Just, hold on.”

The shadows seemed to climb around them, or she was simply imagining it in her weakened state. For some strange reason, the feeling of the arms around her gave her comfort and she felt herself relax into them. When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on her back in what appeared to be a cave. A fire was crackling beside her and the warrior was sitting with their back to her, stoically watching the cave entrance, their spear resting against their chest, sword sheathed at their side. The silver and black helm sat beside the warrior’s thigh and she frowned at the realization that it was now lacking a plume.

Exhaustion and pain still weighed her down, but there was also a sense of relief and, when she managed to lift her head, she could see her arm was wrapped in thick, careful bandages and her entire lower leg secured in a splint. Leather creaked and she turned to see the warrior had looked over their shoulder, having heard movement.

“You’re awake!” The woman said cheerfully, a wide grin splitting her face as she jumped to her feet to hurry to the goddess’ side. “How are you feeling? I tried to heal you as best I could, but Mami’s always had the better healing touch than me, I’m still kinda getting used to it myself. I figured the least I could do was help bandage you up before we get you somewhere safer.”

The goddess stared at the woman in complete shock. She was dressed like a warrior of the gods, but the chestplate had been dyed pitch black, as had the armor on her arms and legs. Teal lines traced the sides of the chestplate and along the greaves. A midnight-purple cloak was swept dramatically over her back, covering her right shoulder, the silver head of a hound just visible beneath it on her chest. The armor had seen its share of battles; dents and cuts marred the surface from the impact of countless weapons and attacks. The staff she had seen the warrior use lay on the ground beside her, made entirely of a black metal with two wicked prongs on one end. The goddess’ eyes widened as it dawned on her what the weapon was: a bident. There was only one god known to wield such a weapon, an elusive figure few other gods had ever met, one who preferred to hide in their dark, underground kingdom.

All of this she took in a matter of a few seconds, scanning the crouching warrior with wary eyes. The warrior tilted her head curiously, her wide brown eyes flashing in the firelight as she pushed back her short mess of dark bangs and ran a hand over the deep tan of her skin. There was something odd about her ears; they were smaller than her own, and lacked the pointed tips she had seen on the other gods. Was this warrior a mortal?

“I, um, you alright, goddess?”

Realizing she was still staring, the goddess blinked. “What?”

“She talks!” The blinding grin was back. “So, now that you’re awake, how about an introduction?” She stuck out her hand, but seeing the goddess pull back dropped it awkwardly to her side. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” Clearing her throat, the warrior dropped onto her backside and crossed her legs, shifting to give the goddess space. “I am Hades of the third generation, ruler and guardian to the Underworld and keeper of the souls of the dead. But, you can call me Luz. What’s your name?”

“I-” her voice faltered, she was too stunned and confused to process what she just heard. _This_ warrior held the mantle of Hades?! No, impossible! The warrior was either delusional or another god trying to manipulate her on her mother’s behalf. Or, maybe, they did not know who _she_ was. Straightening in an attempt to look more regal than she actually felt, she stared down her nose at the waiting warrior.

“I am Persephone, Goddess of Spring and Nature, of the sixth generation.”

Luz nodded. “And... what about your other name?”

She blinked. “My... other name?”

“You know, your other name? The name you had before you took on your mantle?”

Raising an eyebrow at the audacity of the question, she barely bit back a retort that it was none of the warrior’s business. But, seeing the care that had been taken in the careful administration of her wounds and the fact she had been saved from certain death, gave her pause. Taking a deep breath, she glanced around the cave, somehow worried that even here her mother would find her, before looking back to the warrior.

“Amity,” she whispered, brushing a few strands of verdant hair from her face. “My name is Amity.”

“Amity,” Luz repeated her name carefully, nodding as if saying it somehow agreed with her thoughts. “Nice to meet you, Amity! So,” she scooted closer and her knee lightly bumped Amity’s thigh, making the goddess pull back at the sudden closeness. “Why were you running from soldiers of Mount Olympus, and why were they trying to kill you?”

The abrupt closeness of the woman caused Amity to lean away and draw in on herself. For a being who was meant to be the ruler of the underworld, this woman did not at all strike her as someone to match the role. Hades was supposed to be a brooding individual whose sole purpose was to be caretaker for the souls of the dead, not some inquisitive, bubbly warrior.

“That is none of your business,” she huffed, scooting further out of the warrior's space.

Luz cocked her head to the side. “Well, actually, it kinda is. You and those constructs were making so much noise, it was starting to draw attention. Lucky for you, I was checking out the gates when I heard, so I came as fast as I could.”

Amity blinked. “The... gates?”

“Yeah, the gates to the Underworld.” Luz frowned at her. “You do know about them, right?”

“Of course I know about them!” Amity snapped, instantly regretting her sudden movement forward when fresh pain spiked in her leg and she hissed. “I just... did not think the exalted ruler of the underworld would have so much free time on their hands to rescue a goddess in distress.” Her voice oozed with sarcasm, but the tone seemed to fall on deaf ears as Luz leaned back, nodding consideringly.

“Yeah, no, not really, you just caught me at a good moment.” Setting her hands behind her, Luz ran her gaze over the bandages she had wrapped for Amity’s injuries. “I’ve never seen constructs act so violently against a god before. Course, this is the first time I’ve met another god in a while, aside from Mami and Mom, and my auntie. Haven’t gotten to meet the first Hades, but I’m guessing that’s cuz he’s been retired for so long.” Shrugging, Luz propped her chin on her fist, resting her elbow on her knee. “Why would someone want to kill the Goddess of Spring?”

Frowning, Amity crossed her arms and turned away to glare at the fire. She was not about to tell this stranger, mantle of Hades or not, her entire life story. Especially when said stranger looked more like a dirty mortal with delusions of grandeur than a living god. Still, she looked down at the careful bandages wrapped around her arm and leg, this woman, this warrior, did save her. Sighing deeply, Amity shifted around to face the warrior, but kept her eyes trained on the cave floor.

“I just needed to get away from Olympus.” When she was met with silence, Amity looked up to see Luz’s eyebrows had disappeared beneath her bangs.

“Why? I thought Olympus was supposed to be the home for the gods?”

“Well, it’s not my home,” Amity dropped her gaze. “Not anymore.” She whispered, more to herself than to Luz.

Luz hummed thoughtfully for a moment as she looked from Amity to her injuries and over her shoulder to the cave entrance. When she turned back to the goddess, there was a curious glint in her eyes, as if she were carefully weighing a decision. “Well, we can’t have that happen to the Goddess of Spring. Not when I’m here.” Luz started to scoot closer, but seeing Amity stiffen, leaned away. “What if I took you somewhere the gods would not find you? Somewhere safe where you can get better and be protected?”

Amity raised an eyebrow dubiously. “You cannot possibly be talking about the Underworld.”

“Why not?’ Luz shrugged. “It’s beneath the mortal realm, away from Olympus, and there will be no one there to bother you.”

Biting back a snort, Amity shook her head. “No, I am not going to some dark, dismal realm where the mortals go to rot after their lives have ended. It’s full of monsters, shadows, and forgotten dreams, and I would not touch it with a full-grown kraken's tentacle.”

“Have you been there before?”

The question stopped Amity from responding as Luz stared at her, insult clear across her face, and the warrior sighed.

“Look, I’m not going to force you to do anything. I just wanted to help, and my home is a safe place where you can stay. I don’t care what you’ve heard about the Underworld, it’s not so gloom and doom as you’re making it out to be, so don’t be so quick to judge something you don’t know. I can stay here with you for a little bit longer to keep you safe, but I’m going to have to leave soon to go back to my duty.” Picking up her bident, Luz stood and set the butt of the weapon on the cave floor, looking down at Amity. “I can stay here till sunrise, then I’ll have to get back.”

Amity watched Luz walk back to the cave entrance and sit down, her back to her, the dual tips of the bident visible over her shoulder. A mess of emotions were running about her head as she slowly laid back down, careful to not disturb her arm or leg. The Underworld as a safe haven? There was a reason very few of the gods spoke of that wretched place, because that was what it was. A dark world full of shadows and dangerous monsters where the souls of the mortals were forever tortured. Still, Luz’s words of judging something before knowing it made her think of her mother and father. That brought her mind to a screeching halt and she shook her head violently. No, she was not going to behave like them! Sighing, Amity sat up and cleared her throat.

“Hades?”

Luz was at her side in an instant, so fast Amity practically shot out of her skin. “You called?”

“Yes,” Carefully shifting so she could face Luz completely, Amity met her eyes. “As Goddess of Spring, I’ll accept your offer to go with you to the Underworld. At this point, there really is nowhere else for me to go, might as well go where no one will bother to find me.”

Luz’s eyes shone in the firelight, or was it from her own internal power? A smile slowly spread across her face and she nodded, placing a hand over her heart on her breastplate. “On my honor as ruler of the Underworld, I will make sure you are kept safe and out of harm's way.”

If Amity’s eyebrow could have gone any higher, it no doubt would have, though she was touched by Hades’ words. “So then, shall we get going? The sooner the better before more realize I’m missing.”

“Good thinking,” Turning to the cave entrance, Luz placed two fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle that drove a spike into Amity’s eardrums. The sound of galloping hooves made her ears twitch and a loud whinny filled the cave as the shape of two massive horses appeared at the entrance. What looked like a chariot was towed behind the beasts as they pawed the ground, burning eyes settling on the two gods before one let out a loud snort.

“Alrighty, Goddess of Spring,” Luz turned back to Amity and crouched down, placing her helm on her head. “Time to get you to safety! Um,” she paused, her arms halfway raised.

With a start, Amity realized what Luz was about to do and forced her legs to move, gritting her teeth against the pain. “I am a god, I can take care of myself.” She managed to get herself to stand, but the moment she lifted her leg, her knees buckled and she collapsed. Or, she would have had she not fallen on top of Luz, who easily caught her, much to Amity’s chagrin.

“Might not be a good idea for you to use that leg. At least not for a little bit.” Without hesitation, Luz scooped Amity up in her arms and walked towards the cave entrance where the horses waited.

The beast closest to them snorted at the body in its mistress’ arms and shied away, puffing clouds of smoke from its powerful snout. It’s coat was a pure white that seemed to reflect the moonlight like the surface of a lake, rippling over the horse’s muscles as they pawed the ground with gleaming hooves of obsidian. Its untamed mane and tail were also the same obsidian black, catching the wind as it shifted about. It’s eyes looked like melted gold, while the other horse had eyes of the deep violet of night. Its fur was the exact opposite of the other; pitch-black as if it were made of the void of Tartarus, with a mane and tail of undisturbed white. The chariot they were attached to was a simple cart forged of silver and black metal, its wheels reinforced with bronze. Not exactly what Amity imagined the god of the Underworld to drive, but apparently being proven wrong was her theme for the evening.

“Goddess of Spring,” Luz said, interrupting her thoughts. “Meet Nobody and Nowhere.”

Amity blinked at the god. “Who and what?”

“Nobody and Nowhere,” She gestured with her head to the horses. “Nobody is the one with the gold eyes, Nowhere is the one with the violet eyes. They might look scary, but they’re two of the Underworld’s finest dread steeds. They’ll get us to the gates in no time.”

“Is that the name of your chariot?” Amity huffed as Luz walked her around to the back of the cart.

The god snorted “No, but that’s a good guess.” Stepping up into the chariot, Luz carefully set Amity down before grasping the reins sitting on the lip, sliding her bident into a narrow holster.

Amity was surprised at how much space the chariot offered, giving her enough room to sit so she was not putting any weight on her injured leg. Of course, when Luz gave a short whistle for the horses to move and the chariot pulled forward, Amity fell back and her shoulder hit Luz’s calf.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Luz glanced down at her when Amity reeled back from the contact of solid muscle. “These two like to go a little fast. We should be at the gates in just a few minutes.”

Nodding, Amity leaned her shoulder against the wall of the chariot to watch the landscape blur around them. For a chariot, it was a surprisingly smooth ride, making her wonder if they were actually on the ground or, like her brother and sister’s chariots, perhaps they were flying. Her heart throbbed at the memory of her trouble-making siblings and Amity quickly forced the thought away. Better she not think about home right now, especially when she had no idea what she was going to do once she was fully healed. The Underworld was no place for a goddess who had duties to perform, so once she was back to full health, she would have to find somewhere to go, but for now, she would accept Hades’ offer of safety.

Cold settled around her and Amity shivered, looking up to realize that the landscape around them had changed. She could no longer see the bright green grass and thick foliage of her mother’s forest, but instead ragged grey rocks that loomed high above and black sand spraying up from the chariot wheels. A fog curtained them on all sides, though she could still see the light of the moon and the stars. Warmth suddenly touched her back and Amity jumped when Luz draped a blanket of thick, black fur over her shoulders, having briefly turned away from the horses.

“Sorry, I forgot to mention the entrance to the Underworld drains the warmth of those who enter it. Just stay close to me, and you’ll be safe.”

Amity only nodded, grasping the edges of the fur to pull tighter around her as Luz returned to driving the chariot, their trajectory slowly descending further away from the night sky. The jagged tops of the ravine they were riding through grew closer together until Amity could scarcely make out the sky, and the faint rays of sunlight peeking through.

 _Looks like Ed woke up on time today._ She held back a sigh and her nails dug into the fur as the ravine closed around them like a tunnel, and then they were in darkness.

Or they would have been, if not for a burst of golden light from behind, making Amity turn to see a glowing orb hovering over Luz’s shoulder. Glancing up to the front of the chariot, Amity could see another, larger orb floating between the two galloping horses. Neither creature seemed at all bothered by the brightness as they continued their journey, kicking up sand and gravel with their hooves. It was because of the light she could see that the tunnel they were in was not made out of the rocks from the ravine as she would have guessed. Instead, it was a single smooth path of a shimmering stonework she could not quite place, only that it reflected the light in a opalescent hue. Amity thought it was actually quite a beautiful sight, until she saw the faces looking back at her from the stone.

“Hades?” Amity hated the way her voice caught in her throat, betraying her fear, but still she pointed to the ghostly faces starting at them from the stone.

Luz glanced down at her and to the faces in the tunnel. “Those are the mortal souls on their way into the Underworld.”

“But,” Looking around the empty tunnel, Amity gaped up at her guide. “We’re the only ones here.”

“Because we’re taking a special path into the Underworld for just the gods. Only me, Mami, Mom, and Auntie know about it. And Nobody and Nowhere, I suppose.” Luz reached down to pull the fur up where it had slipped off Amity’s shoulder. “They can’t hurt us, you’ll be safe.” Luz snapped the reins and the horses sped up, either because she was in a hurry due to Amity’s discomfort, or simply because she wanted more speed.

Either way, they soon left the tunnel and entered a large cavern where the center was dominated by an elm tree so tall it almost brushed the ceiling. Amity could not help but stare open mouthed at the pale-white bark and sickly grey leaves hanging from its sagging branches. Her ears twitched at the breathy whispers that seemed to slip from the leaves, though it was not until Luz had grabbed her shoulder did Amity realize she had started to stand up.

“Oneiroi,” Luz said in a warning tone, her eyes trained on the branches that shifted in a nonexistent wind. “The tree of false dreams. That’s not something you want to get too close to unless you want to send a message to someone.”

“You’re talking about it like it’s a bad thing,” Amity said, letting Luz gently guide her back down.

“Depends on the message you want to send and to whom,”

Something about the way Luz spoke and the hard set in her jaw had Amity scooting further into the chariot’s walls. Once they turned a corner and the tree was out of sight, Amity felt her body relax and she leaned against the side of the chariot, keeping the fur pelt pulled tight around her.

This pathway was different from the first, which thankfully meant no more mortal souls to watch them pass by. Amity had a feeling there were walls around them, but she could not see them, either because the darkness was so strong here or because there were no walls. All she could see in the light cast by Luz’s power was that the path they were on was composed of a dark grey marble lined with black and white veins that curved in lazy turns as it took them lower and lower into the earth. A slight jolt to the chariot alerted Amity that they had left the road as dried grass crunched beneath the wide wheels and they skidded to a stop. The horses let out twin snorts as they reared back, dropping their hooves to the ground beneath them.

Hearing Luz clear her throat, Amity looked up to see the god smiling down at her and offering her hand. Hesitantly, Amity slipped her hand into Luz’s, surprised at the rough calluses in the larger, warmer one, and allowed the god to gently help her to her feet. When she saw what was before them, her jaw dropped.

They stood on top of one of many rolling hills covered in a grey grass that crunched beneath the horses’ hooves. Glowing silvery-white forms drifted about the hills that, when they drew close, Amity recognized to be the faint shapes of the mortals who had died. _They must be the souls._ She thought, watching as they floated leglessly over the grass towards a large dock flanked by two bone-white trees, their lifeless branches thin and scraggly like the fingers of a skeleton. Blue flames flickered on the pillars at the far end of the dock and, beyond, a wide river stretched to what seemed like an endless horizon. Fog crawled along the still, black waters, obscuring its surface.

Amity could not repress the worried shudder that wracked her body from the macabre surroundings. The air was so cold, a far cry from the warmth and sunlight from the Mortal Realm or the lofty openness of Olympus. When she breathed, it crackled in her lungs. The souls that drifted past looked forlorn, their fog-like bodies shimmering as they watched the large expanse of the river. They were waiting for something, but what, Amity could not fathom. She felt death dripping from the hidden ceiling that closed them off from the surface world, trapping the souls inside, and her with them. Had she truly made the right choice to come here? 

Warm fingers lightly squeezed her hand and she turned back to Luz, who had removed her helm. The comforting smile the god offered sent a jolt of warmth and assurance through Amity’s heart, causing her face to flush in surprise.

“It’s okay,” Luz whispered, her warm brown eyes settling on Amity’s face with a softness the goddess did not understand. “I swear on my mantle that you are safe here. No harm will come to you as long as I’m near. Trust me.”

Right as Amity opened her mouth to challenge that statement, the souls around them suddenly rushed towards the banks of the river, gusts of cold wind sending chills along Amity’s exposed shoulders. “What in the name of the Hades?” She watched the shimmering crowd cluster at the dock and, far off in the distance, the shape of a large raft emerged from the mist.

“Oh good!” Chirped Luz, grabbing the reins. “Our ride is here!”


	2. House of Hades

“Our ride?” Amity repeated.

Luz helped her sit down and clicked her tongue at the horses to move. “Yup, to cross the Acheron, we’ll need to hitch a ride with the rest of the souls going to the Underworld.”

Amity stared at the river over the lip of the chariot and a shudder wracked her body at the darkness swirling through it. There was something about the water and the way it moved that had her pulling as far away from it as she possibly could. It felt as if pain itself were radiating from the writhing depths in sharp cold waves.

“What’s wrong with the water?” She whispered, backing up.

Luz, who did not appear affected by it at all, frowned slightly. “The Acheron is the river of pain. Believe me when I say you do not want to touch it.”

“How are we going to cross the river with this?” Amity eyed the silver chariot. It didn’t exactly scream “sea-worthy”, made by the ruler of the Underworld or not.

“Charon’s boat has plenty of room, and I’ve got a special way of keeping us afloat.” Luz said dismissively. “I’ve done it plenty times before and I’ve never been knocked over. Well, except for the one time a bug flew by and he got hungry, but we were okay. There’s just one thing I should probably warn you about-”

“Besides the fact you just said you’re the one keeping us afloat and the ferryman for the souls of the dead is easily distracted?”

“Just by bugs,” was the response. “And that was one time! He’s very careful with the souls!”

Doing her best to not give the quirky god a deadpan look, Amity sighed. “Well then, let’s hear it. What do you want to warn me about with this Charon?” She jumped when the chariot lurched, the path changing from the grass-covered hills smooth stones and they came to a halt.

Releasing the reins, Luz held out her hand to Amity and helped the goddess to her feet. The sound of a large shape breaking through the waters caused them to turn. Peering through the congregation of shimmering figures clustered before them on the dock, they saw a long wooden boat gliding into view. A tall form stood at the far back of the boat, their whole body draped in a black shroud with the hood pulled to hide their face in darkness.

“Whatever you do,” Luz whispered in Amity's ear, causing the appendage to twitch from her warm breath. “Don't look him in the eyes.”

Amity frowned at the god. “What do you mean?”

“Hooooooooooot!” A voice screeched and in one swift motion, Luz was knocked out of the chariot and landed flat on her back. Amity caught her balance on the side of the chariot as something darted through the air. Something long and serpentine covered in...feathers?

What the Styx was that?

“Heya there, Luz! What took you so long? Ooooh, you brought a frieeeeend!” A face suddenly hovered directly in front of Amity and she reeled back from the bizarre looking creature that studied her with an intense gaze. Two beady-black eyes stared at her from a rotund owlish face covered in a mess of light-brown feathers that seemed to be growing out of every single pore. The creature’s curving beak jutted out from his face and pinched in a frown while he hummed thoughtfully. It took the goddess a split second to realize the shroud draped over the tubular creature was actually thrown over the end of the boat. The boat and the owl-tube were attached.

Amity did not like this creature. Thankfully, she was spared from its scrutinizing gaze by Luz, who darted between them with her arms held out at her sides.

“Hooty! No touching!”

“She’s not dead,” came the high-pitched response, and Hooty’s face slithered around to fix Amity with another look. “Only the dead may cross the river if they pay the toll.”

“And the gods, and she just so happens to be one.”

Instantly, Hooty’s eyes lit up and his mouth broke out into a crazed smile. “Oh! Why didn’t you say so? There’s always room for more.” The face pulled back on the long pale appendage to which it was attached, disappearing beneath the hood.

Sighing, Luz turned to Amity and helped her to her feet, brushing at stray feathers that had fallen on the goddess’s chiton. “Sorry about that, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Amity huffed, shooing away Luz’s hands, a small blush on her cheeks from the contact. “He’s a little bit…”

“Loony? Yeah, that’s Hooty, the ferryman for the souls. Let me just get Nowhere and Nobody on the boat, then we’ll be on our way.”

Amity looked over Luz’s shoulder at the vessel that Hooty had since docked and the waiting translucent figures of mortal souls. She did not want to get on that boat, but she knew it was the only option. Using one of the posts from the dock to lean on, Amity watched Luz guide her horses and chariot to the very back of the boat where what looked like a platform just large enough for all three to stand on drifted. What was even more surprising was the fact that the boat did not budge in the least when the heavy metal chariot rolled on, Nowhere and Nobody lightly shuffling about. When Luz seemed to be pleased with the state of her ride, she leapt back onto the dock and to Amity.

“Okay goddess, you ready? I’m gonna have to carry you on.”

Amity blinked. “What? No, no thank you. I am perfectly capable of getting onto an old boat full of mortal souls by myself.”

If Luz had a different opinion, she was smart enough to keep it to herself, but did not stop from raising an eyebrow. Amity chose to ignore her and, squaring her shoulders, began to slowly limp down the down towards the boat. It really was only a few steps away, but with an injury like the one she sported, Amity felt it took twice as long. Still, she was not about to let her dignity and pride take a hit. She was the Goddess of Spring, damn it all! A spear to the calf was not about to stop her from getting on a bloody boat. Pointedly not looking at the hooded form of the ferryman, Amity clenched her teeth as she forced her bandaged leg to lift up and over to settle on the low lip of the boat. When she managed to get her uninjured leg to push off the dock, Amity wobbled her way between the crowded benches on which the souls were seated and tiredly dropped down into Luz’s chariot. She watched Luz step onto the boat, bident in hand, helm on her head, and instantly the souls began to whisper in hushed tones.

“Charon!” Luz’s voice echoed around them and the whispers stopped. “Take us to the Gates.”

Amity felt the boat lurch from the docks, jarring her in the chariot, and soon they were off. The boat cut silently across the blackness of the river, but Amity could feel the cold waves of pain swirling up around them. Hearing footsteps, she looked to see Luz walk to the chariot, but instead of standing in it, the god sat down on the raised lip of the boat, leaning back on her hands.

“So,” Luz said after a few beats, biting her inner cheek. “Any chance you’re up for telling me why you ran from Olympus?”

Pulling the fur around her shoulders, Amity frowned at the river. “I had to get away from there. That’s it.”

Luz held up her hands in defense. “I’m just trying to figure out why someone as important as the Goddess of Spring would be hunted down by soldiers of Olympus. Doesn’t really make sense, plus the fact you actually agreed to come down here with me, to the one place almost all the other gods would avoid.”

“Exactly,” Amity’s voice was cold as she spoke. “The farther I get away from that place, the better. If it means staying down here with all these mortal souls, then so be it.”

Silence hung between them as Hooty rowed them across the river, only the soft rippling of water brushing against the prow of the boat.

“Huh,”

Amity glanced at Luz. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just,” the god rubbed her chin. “Well, obviously you’re not going to tell me what’s going on or who it is you’re running from.”

“I never said I was running from anyone.”

“You just admitted to wanting to stay in the Underworld with a bunch of mortal souls. If that says anything,” Luz stared at her from beneath her helm, brown eyes flashing. “It's that you don’t want someone to find you. So,” she leaned forward, her arms resting in her thighs. “What’s up? You can trust me.”

The guarded look in Amity’s eyes hardened, but she refused to turn to Luz. “I may have accepted your offer of security, but I don’t trust you, or anyone else. Here, or in Olympus.”

Luz blinked. “You don’t trust me, and yet you let me take you into the Underworld. That’s kinda weird, but,” she lifted her hands again when Amity leveled her with a warning glare. “I won’t ask. You’re free to leave the Underworld any time you want, nobody here will try to stop you.” They both glanced up when Nobody snorted at the mention of his name and Luz chuckled, reaching up to pat the horse’s side.

Shaking her head, Amity returned her gaze to the river and the black water swirling beneath them. Foam trailing in the wake of the vessel spread out in an expanding wave behind them, a sick-grey over the already lifeless setting. Yet, as Amity watched the waves, she noticed shapes darting about in the river. Not beneath the surface, but somehow _in_ the water. Humanoid shapes that seemed to reach out to the passing boat, bony fingers scrabbling at the retreating shadow. Something about the way they moved, a desperation in their attempts as if to clamber over each other to catch hold of the boat. As if the very river itself was trying to escape.

It was then Amity realized she was not looking at water, but a thick cluster of mortal souls all crammed together in a single writhing mass that rolled with the effect of a river. A hand broke from the waves, shadows falling from it like water droplets as it grappled the air close to Amity’s leg and she shot back, her shoulder ramming into the interior of the chariot. More hands rose up, followed by skull-like faces with gaping holes in place of their eyes and mouths, trapped in eternal moans of pain. In an instant, Luz was standing beside Amity and the dual tips of her bident slammed the edge of the platform they were on, sending a shockwave that disintegrated those closest to them. When Amity looked up at the god, she gasped at the fiery-orange light that burned in Luz’s eyes, casting a faint glow over the moaning figures as they slunk back into the river.

“ **You will not touch her,** ” Luz growled at the retreating shapes. “ **Go back to the waters you chose for your fate.** ” She glared at the writhing bodies until the boat had sailed further over the lake and then rotated her bident to set the end of it on the edge of the platform.

Despite the many warning signals that were blaring in Amity’s mind from what she just witnessed, she had to admit Luz standing guard for the remainder of the ride was nice. A manic owl-headed ferryman that doubled as a boat and a female Hades who could go from quirky and bubbly to commanding and fierce in the blink of an eye. Not what she would have expected from the Underworld. Still, it was better than the torture she experienced back on Olympus and the fate that awaited her should she return.

_No._ She shook her head. _I am never going back there, not after what they did to me. I’ll find my own way as Goddess of Spring, even if I have to keep running through all of the mortal realm. They can’t make me return._ She looked up at Luz, who was watching the river closely, the bident clutched between her hands, the black plume of her helmet rippling in the soft breeze.

Amity could not help but notice the signs of wear evident on the god’s armor and the scars that lined her arms and legs. Luz had to be about her age, not any older, but she looked as if she had already been operating under her mantle for a few years. She knew she shouldn’t be so curious about the ruler of the Underworld, especially since she herself was staying as tight-lipped about her own situation as she could. Yet, curiosity gnawed at her thoughts as she continued to study the tall warrior who looked like a mortal, but radiated the aura of one of the oldest and most powerful of the Olympians.

A thunderous boom broke Amity’s thoughts and she jumped, almost kicking Luz’s armored shin with her good leg. The god turned and, seeing Amity’s startled face, grinned impishly and knelt down to eye-level with her.

“Nah, don’t worry about that.” Said the god as she re-tied the splint on Amity’s leg. “It’s just my puppy, King!”

The noise came again and Amity recognized it was not actual thunder, but an echoing roar. “That... doesn’t sound like a puppy.”

Luz nodded and the boat came to a halt as it bumped against the shore of a small island. “Yeah, he likes to play it all big and scary, but he’s a pushover. C’mon, I’ll introduce you!”

Amity would have vastly preferred anything else than that.

It took a little while for them to disembark, Luz giving the mortal souls the invitation to get off first to pass through the large, stone archway and the doors that were open beneath. Two large trees flanked the door, their blackened branches stretched out leafless to each other, their roots intertwining with the archway. From the chariot, Amity watched as each soul dropped a coin into a lidded basket on the side from which they got off. Hooty eagerly watched the coins drop through the narrow slot, his beady eyes dancing with glee.

“Ah, that beautiful sound of plinking coin.” He sighed, elongated face hovering over the basket like it was full of scrumptious food.

Once all the souls had departed the vessel, Luz pulled Nobody and Nowhere by the reins up onto the shore with Amity still in the chariot. Luz had insisted she stay so as not to make her injury worse and, for once, Amity chose to swallow her pride. 

“Bye Luz!” Hooty called to them as the chariot rolled onto the island. “See ya soon!”

“See ya, Hooty!” Luz waved to him and climbed onto the chariot. “Alrighty, goddess, let’s get going. We’re halfway there.”

“Halfway where?”

Luz blinked as if realizing she had missed something and glanced down at Amity. “Um, well, to my home. It’ll be the best place to keep you safe and my mami can help with your wounds. There’s plenty of space for you to be comfortable and you can have a room all to yourself.”

Knowing there was no other option to choose from, Amity nodded. “Okay,” she sighed in defeat. “But no more of that bird-tube ferryman.”

Snorting, Luz snapped the reins and the horses began to pull them from the boat. “No more Hooty, I promise. Not until you decide to leave and need to cross the river. That’s the only way in and out of the Underworld.”

It would be a very long time, Amity decided, before that would happen.

They passed through the archway with the souls shuffling along beside them, blank eyes trained ahead. One soul tilted its head to watch the chariot drive by, but the gaze reminded Amity of one trapped in a dream, unseeing and devoid of any, well, life. Tightening her hold on the fur around her shoulders, Amity opened her mouth to ask Luz about the souls, when the same cacophonous noise from earlier made her jump. Grasping the edge of the chariot, Amity pulled herself up to stand and rotated to see just what sort of beast could be so loud.

The path they were traveling on was a smooth stone bridge that stretched out to what looked like a gargantuan pile of rocks in the distance. A shadow covered most of the wide bridge and, when Amity looked up, she saw the shape of a floating island high above. Water rained down from its edges and down either side of the bridge to whatever lay beneath.

“The Fields of Mourning,” Luz commented when she glanced back to see Amity trying to see over the side. “The waters from the Isle of the Blessed keep them covered in eternal rain. It’s where those with unrequited love go after they died.”

“That’s awful,” Amity couldn’t help but say.

Luz nodded slowly. “Yeah, the Underworld has both the good and the bad.”

“Why would souls be sent somewhere to rest if all they do is mourn their lost love? That’s a rather cruel way to spend the afterlife.”

Pulling on the reins so they came to a stop, Luz pulled her bident from its holster and turned to face Amity. “They’re the one who accepted that as their fate when the judges made their decree, even though they have the choice for another chance at life.”

Amity blinked at Luz. “What do you mean ‘another chance at life’?”

“I’ll show you,” Luz glanced down at the splint on Amity’s leg and back up to her face. “We’re going to have to go on foot from here. I can carry you if you want?”

“I’ll manage,” Amity said, using the wall of the chariot for support to gingerly limp off.

Shrugging, Luz stepped off after her and turned to a soul who materialized at her side. Amity realized with a start the male figure had more detailed features than the shuffling mass passing by; she could see the defining frame of his face, the gleam of awareness in his eyes, and even the folds of the man’s tunic. Though the mortal still lacked legs and feet like the rest, instead bobbing ever so lightly above the ground, he patiently waited as Luz handed him the reins for the horses.

“Thanks, Iapis. Okay you two,” she patted Nobody and Nowhere on their necks. “You’re done for the day, take it easy.” Nowhere jerked her head as if nodding in agreement and Luz grinned, giving them one more pat before the mortal soul led the horses away. Holding out her hand to Amity, Luz guided the goddess’ arm around her own and they walked side by side towards an entrance illuminated by pillars of blue flames. Amity was quick to notice Luz had slowed her pace to match her own, taking her time to stay in step with her limping guest.

Hearing the loud roar again, Amity glanced up as something dropped from above to catch her eye, and she froze. Feeling her stop, Luz looked to where Amity’s attention had gone and she snorted.

“Why does he always have to sleep on guard duty?”

The largest dog Amity had ever seen was draped over the archway to the building where the souls were entering, his heavy paws hanging limp as his three heads snored loudly. At least, Amity assumed those were heads. It was hard to tell from the skull that covered the beast’s main head like a helm, the other two heads nothing more than bare canine skulls that opened and closed in the motion of snoring. Jet black fur covered the creature from his neck to his claws, save for a long black serpent that dangled over the side, its pure white head also snoring deeply. It took Amity a moment to realize the serpent was attached to the beast’s backside, right where a tail would otherwise have grown. Carved on the archway beneath his paws was a single sentence in ancient lettering: _ΑΦΗΣΤΕ ΤΙΣ ΛΕΞΕΙΣ ΝΑ ΣΑΣ ΟΔΗΓΗΣΟΥΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΡΙΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΤΩ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ_

“Let the words guide your path toward the judgement of the Underworld.”

Sighing, Luz gently tugged Amity up so they were standing just beneath the archway and lifted her bident to poke at the beast’s nose. “Hey, King! Wakey-wakey!”

With a disgruntled snort, King wrinkled his nose and pulled back, yawning widely to reveal a mouth full of gleaming fangs. Peeling open his lids, the Cerberus dog lowered his head to fix Luz with an annoyed glare, his yellow and red eyes glowing in the skull sockets. “Why’d you do that, Luz? I was having a perfectly good dream of my days as ruler of the Titans!”

Amity shot Luz a confused glance and the god shook her head as if to say “don’t ask”. Rolling her eyes, Luz said, “Sorry to wake you, King, but I can’t let you sleep when we’ve got so many souls entering the Underworld. Remember what happened the last time Mami caught you snoozing on duty?”

The gatekeeper of the Underworld shivered at the unpleasant memory. “I hated being that tiny for so long.”

“But you were so adorable.” Luz cooed.

All three heads snapped to her as King rose up onto his paws to loom over her. “I am _NOT_ adorable!” He stomped his paw on the archway, causing the bridge beneath them to shudder and Amity to almost lose her footing.

Undeterred, Luz shook her head, but Amity could see she was biting her lip to keep from laughing. A hot gust of wind pushed against her face had Amity jolt as King suddenly lowered his snout to stare at her curiously. “What’s an Olympian doing all the way down here?”

“This is Amity,” Said Luz as the gatekeeper studied Amity with curiosity. “She’s the Goddess of Spring.”

“Oh, a Persephone in the Underworld.” King snorted. “That’s original. What do you want with Luz?”

“Nothing,” Amity huffed, matching the hound’s tripled gaze. “I was in some trouble and your Hades offered me sanctuary. That is all I will say.”

King blinked in surprise and lifted his head to Luz. “You sure you want to let an Olympian into the palace?”

“She needed a place to stay,” Luz set her bident on the bridge and tightened her hold on Amity’s arm to steady her. “I wasn’t going to leave her alone after she agreed to my help. She’s not gonna cause any trouble, King.”

Growling, the Cerberus looked from Luz to Amity and back. Then he snorted. “Eh, whatever, she can enter. Just keep her away from my snacks.”

“You got it, ‘your highness’.” Luz drawled as she guided Amity through the entrance of the building, passing under King’s paws as he plopped back down on the archway, head raised to watch the line of souls. “Sorry about that,” she said when they were well into the long hallway. “King’s actually a real sweet hell hound, he just gets grumpy when I wake him up.”

“So I see,” Amity muttered, keeping her grip on Luz’s arm. “I was told Cerberus had three heads. Why is he wearing a skull on one head while the other two are also -”

“Skulls?” Luz finished and shrugged. “We don’t know. That’s just how he was when Mami was picked by Hades, and we never asked. He likes to act big and tough, but when he’s in his smaller form, he is so cute!”

“Not cute!” King yelled from the entrance.

Luz snickered and lightly tugged Amity’s arm. “Come on, I’ll show you how the souls are judged in the afterlife.” They continued down the hall, passing by the never-ending line of souls shuffling along beside them.

As each soul entered the hall, Amity noticed something strange about the tiles on the wall where they passed. Words illuminated beside them and traced out in long sentences that followed the individual soul as they continued their slow-paced shuffle. After studying the words of the passing souls, Amity was stunned at the realization that what she was reading was the historical recounting of the mortal’s life.

She watched as a man, possibly around thirty summers, walked forward. The words that appeared beside him depicted him to be the son of one of the muses, a lover of stories and music. He had been engaged to a musician, a woman who played the lyre. But the day of their wedding, he and his bride-to-be had an argument and she left in anger. Only, a venomous snake found her and seeing she was unaware, he leapt in its path and was bitten instead. He had died in his bride’s arms.

As they and the man reached the end of the hall, the long string of words curled in on each other. To Amity’s surprise, the words peeled off the wall to meld into a tightly bound scroll that darted from the soul into the room in which the hall opened.

The center of the floor was raised by a short set of wide stairs on which a large table sat. Behind the table sat two individuals, the taller one reached out to catch the sailing scroll and unfurled it as the man Amity had been watching approached. With a start, she realized the two judges looked incredibly familiar and, when the smaller of the two looked up to her and Luz, she stared.

“Hey there, boss!” A fourteen-year old version of the Underworld’s ruler called, waving her hand energetically over her head. “We got to send a soul to the Isle of the Blessed today!”

Luz’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s amazing! Did you break out the confetti for them?”

“The whole stash,” said the second judge, who looked to be every bit the lanky young woman Luz must have been as an older teenager. “Course, Mami made us clean it all up. She said we don’t need that much fanfare for a soul even if they've achieved paradise three times.”

Sighing, Luz shook her head. “Ah well, at least we got to congratulate them for making it to the Isle.”

The judges nodded and turned their attention to the soul standing before them, the scroll of his life laid out before them. Luz helped Amity off to the side of the room as they watched the duplicates study the scroll carefully, the mortal hovering before them.

“Hades,” Amity whispered, gesturing towards the judges. “Why do they look like you?” Both were dressed in white togas, a light purple cape tossed over the younger Luz’s shoulder while an olive-green hung from the older one’s arms.

Luz glanced at the judges. “Oh, that’s because they’re extensions of me.” She pointed to the fourteen-year old. “That’s Minos. The other one,” she gestured to the older teen. “Is Rhadamanthus.”

“Why are there only two of them?” Frowning, Amity looked at the empty chair between. “Isn’t the Underworld meant to have three judges for the mortal souls?”

For a moment, Luz’s grip tightened on the bident and she sighed. “I...could only create two. But, they get the job done. You should’ve seen it when Mami was Hades.” Luz scratched the back of her head nervously and chuckled. “It was very hard to get out of trouble with three extra Mamis watching me.”

Before Amity dared to even ask just what that meant, Minos jumped up from her seat, an excited look on her face.

“Wooo! We got a new guest for Elysium here!” She grabbed the soul’s transparent hand and pumped it up and down enthusiastically. The instant her hand connected with his, Amity watched the dream-like fog pull back from his eyes and he blinked in quickly growing comprehension.

“ _I- I’m…_ ”

“Congratulations, sir,” the judge said with a kind smile, watching his face as he began to look around. “Enjoy your time in paradise.”

“ _Paradise…_ ” he whispered and a flicker of sadness passed in his gaze as whatever he seemed to be looking for was not found. “ _But, my wife, I can’t go without my wife._ ”

“She’s not here yet,” said Luz, startling Amity as the mortal turned to look at them. “It was not her time to travel to the Underworld. But I promise you, when her time comes, we’ll make sure you are reunited.”

Amity gaped at Luz’s bold promise, but the mortal’s worried expression softened and he bowed his head.

“ _Thank you, Hades, I will wait for when my wife finds her way._ ” Turning, the soul drifted around the table and towards a set of five doors behind, all identical to each other. However, as the mortal approached the one to the right of the center door, a warm, comforting glow of golden light radiated out and, when he stepped through, the light flared out and he vanished.

Grinning, Minos dusted off her hands. “Another heroic soul for Elysian, never gets old.” She held up her fist for Rhadamanthus to bump with her own and Luz rolled her eyes, lightly tugging Amity’s arm.

“C’mon, I’ll show you my home.”

They walked along the wall as another soul entered the room and through a separate door that led out behind the judgement room. The mound of rocks that Amity had seen from the other side towered high above them, but now she could see the form of an impressive temple taking up most of the mountain. Islands orbited the large floating structure of stone that housed the marble temple, blue flames dotting the surfaces as they drifted about. The light that illuminated the whole of the Underworld radiated from high atop the temple roof, as if a piece of the sun had fallen beneath the earth and become part of the palace roof. No visible bridges existed between any of the islands or linked them to the main one, but as Luz and Amity approached the edge of where they stood, a mass of shadows shot out, forming into one solid ramp that, when Amity stepped on it, felt as strong as the earth itself. Still, she kept a tight hold on Luz’s arm as the shadows pulled them up towards the temple. When their feet touched the ground of the temple entrance, Amity was surprised to see that instead of the statue generally found before the god’s personal palace depicting themself, she was staring at a large cypress, its branches devoid of leaves like the rest she had seen.

“Where is the statue?”

Luz stopped and blinked at her. “Statue?”

“Yes,” Amity nodded, her brow furrowed. “The Olympians always have statues of themselves outside their temples. Why is there a tree for yours?”

“Statue…” Voice trailing away as she processed the question, Luz stared at Amity and the tree. Then her eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, that. Mami said Hades didn’t want one of himself in front of the temple, said it felt wrong to have some big statue of himself. The cypress is a symbol of Hades, so he chose that instead.”

That did fit what Amity had heard of the first ruler of the Underworld, though she had doubted that one of the original three main Olympians would actually practice any sense of modesty. She did have to admit a tree was a much more welcoming image than some over the top sculpture showing off the god’s prowess. Still, she was sad to think that this tree, or any of the others for that matter, had most likely never bloomed. Something meant to thrive in the warmth and sunlight deprived of the very things it needed. Her fingers itched to press against the smooth bark to feel the life she knew lay dormant inside, to be given a chance to grow.

A huge shadow swooped above and a gust of wind tumbled over them, causing both Luz and Amity to duck as something huge shot down and landed with a resounding thud on the temple steps. There was a whirlwind of dark-grey feathers and from it stepped a tall woman with stark pale-white skin and the thickest mane of hair Amity had ever seen. Her face was sharp and angular, and there was a stubborn set to her chin, as though daring anyone to oppose her. A single gold fang stuck out from her upper lip, glinting in the strange light which seemed to shine from atop the palace. Her blood-red robes draped about her thin arms, but something told Amity the lack of bulk was no problem for this woman. Clutched in her right hand was a staff nearly as tall as herself and carved at the top was a small brown owl. Sharp dual-colored eyes of grey and gold fixed on the two gods and her thin lips broke into a massive grin.

“Heya there, kiddo!”

Luz tugged Amity up the stairs to throw her free arm around the woman’s narrow frame, much to her clear discomfort. “Auntie!”

Grunting, the woman shimmied out of Luz’s grip and brushed off her robes. “Yeah, yeah, love ya too. Urgh, what is it with you and that parallel arm thing?”

“Aaaw, c’mon Auntie. You used to let me hug you all the time!”

“That was when you were a cute lil' ankle biter!” The woman held a hand out to demonstrate the shortness of a much younger Luz. “Now it’s just weird.” Her mismatched eyes slid to Amity and she leaned against her staff. “Who’s the sapling?”

Amity blinked. “ _Sapling?!_ ”

“This is Amity,” Luz said quickly, stepping in between them. “She got into some trouble with Olympus and needed to go somewhere safe.”

“So you brought her here.” Was the deadpan response. The woman arched an eyebrow as she took in Amity’s bedraggled appearance, gaze lingering momentarily on her locks. “You’re the new Perseohone, aren’t ya?” She flicked a long, claw-like nail at her when she gaped in astonishment. “That laurel and your hair, the bearer of Persephone’s mantle always came with that duo. Thank the Styx my only change up was one eye going grey. Dunno what I would’ve done with myself having to walk around looking like a living shrubbery.”

“Auntie,” Luz groaned. “Be nice.”

The older woman let out a loud snort and thumped Luz on the back. “Sorry kiddo, I was just messing around.” She held out her hand to Amity. “I’m Thanatos, Messenger for the Dead, but you can call me Eda. Only one who gets to call me Auntie around here is lil’ miss ball of sunshine here. C’mon in, you look like you’re about ready to fall over.”

With Luz’s help, Amity followed the eccentric god of death up the steps of the grand temple and beneath its large entrance. Smooth marble veined the floors and carefully carved pillars stretched up to the lofty ceiling where paintings depicted countless heroes as the gods watched, forever locked in a game of power. Souls drifted about the area, carrying scrolls, folded linens, charcoal styluses and pads of paper for writing, and food on plates. When a bowl of fruit passed by, Amity heard her stomach snarl in protest and it was then she realized how long it had been since she last ate. Perhaps she could ask her host for something to eat fairly soon, now that they were within the confines of what was no doubt the House of Hades.

Eda’s staff clicked on the flawless floor as they crossed the grand room, passing by a tall throne carved of black marble veined with silver flanked by more sconces burning with blue flames. They entered a hallway and passed many different rooms, turning left and right, until they were in a slightly smaller passageway that led to a single open door. Soft voices drifted out from it and Eda tapped the end of her staff on the floor.

“Lily! Cammy! Luz is back and she’s got a surprise for you, so you’d better not be doing any kinky shadow magic in there!”

“Edalyn…” Even from the short distance, Amity could hear the exasperation in the voice as a tall woman appeared in the doorway, her blue-black hair falling about her shoulders like a curtain. She was dressed in a fine chiton of obsidian with a shawl of deep turquoise draped over her arms, the inside of which glimmered like the stars of a clear night sky. “Must you always be so crass?”

Eda snorted, propping her elbow on her staff. “It’s what makes me such a charming god of death. Besides _Lilith_ , Luz brought home a girlfriend, we don’t want to scare the poor kid off.”

Amity’s jaw fell open and Luz’s face turned a blazing red.

“What? She’s not my - _Auntie!_ ”

The god of death’s shoulders shook as she laughed whole-heartedly and snorted, much to Amity’s revulsion. Sighing, Lilith turned to the pair and held out a hand. Luz was all too eager to pass by Eda to grab Lilith in a hug that the older woman clearly was happy to reciprocate. 

“Luz, good to see you are back.” Her eyes lifted to Amity, one grey and one teal, and she pulled back. “The Goddess of Spring. This is... unexpected.” She surveyed Amity’s appearance and gently took her hand. “I am Nyx, Goddess of Night, but you may call me Lilith. Please, come in.”

Amity followed the goddess into a large, well-lit room with the far wall dominated by a wide window that looked out onto a glistening city in the distance. Gauzy sky-blue curtains billowed in a soft breeze from the window and standing beside it was a woman who was shorter with a stocky build, but her dark skin and hair was identical to Luz. Upon seeing her round ears, Amity instantly knew this was the mother of the Underworld’s ruler, and the woman wasted no time in crossing the room in long strides to wrap Luz up in a very tight hug.

“Hi Mami,” Luz whispered as her mother wrapped her left arm around her waist. “I’m home.”

“Mija,” Camila squeezed her daughter’s middle. “What took you so long?” She glanced around to see Lilith guide Amity to a chair and her eyebrows rose. “Ah, I see.” Lowering her arm, the former Hades walked over to the seated goddess, her blue toga and wrap shifting about her legs as the long cape covering her right shoulder gently fluttered behind her. She watched as Lilith carefully unwound the bandages Luz had wrapped around her arm and leg, and when Amity hissed at the pain, turned to Lilith.

“My love, please summon a healer. Mija,” she turned to Luz. “I’ll need you to go to the Mortal Realm,”

Luz stared at her as Lilith hurried out. “What? Why?” A growl from Amity’s very empty stomach grabbed both their attention and the goddess turned a bright shade of pink.

“Because,” Camila’s tone was even. “The Underworld is a separate realm from Olympus. If she eats the food of our world, she’ll be bound here against her will. Mortal food will be a neutral substance for her to consume.”

Seeing the blood drain from Amity’s face at those words, Luz sighed and nodded. “Okay, Mami, I’m on it.” She darted to the door, but paused and looked over her shoulder to see Amity watching her. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.” There was a blur of shadows around Luz and, when Amity blinked, the god had vanished.

“It’s alright, dear.” Camila gave Amity’s hand a soft squeeze. “You’ll be safe here. The Underworld may seem a little scary at first-”

Eda snorted from where she was leaning against the doorframe. “That’s an understatement.”

“Hush, Edalyn.” Muttered Lilith as she brushed past her to reenter the room, a soul following behind.

“What? You want me to lie and say the Underworld is full of nothing but cute, cuddly critters who want hugs?”

Both Camila and Lilith shot her a look.

“Why don’t you assist Luz with retrieving food for our guest? It will be much faster with the two of you.”

Sighing, Eda nodded and with a flick of her wrist, the owl's wings on her staff snapped out, startling Amity. “Yeah, don’t want the kid getting distracted out there in the big world of the mortals. I’ll be back soon.” She glanced at Amity and winked. “Nice to meet ya, Springy. Welcome to Hell.” With that, Eda shot across the room and leapt out of the open window, her staff carrying her out into the darkness.

“Does she always do that?” Amity gaped at where the god of death had vanished.

Lilith shook her head. “My sister can be a bit... eccentric at the best of times.”

“It’s part of what makes her so good at what she does.” Camila said, stepping aside for the soul who Amity guessed to be the healer, setting a basket of salves and bandages beside them.

In a short amount of time, Amity had fresh bandages wrapped around her leg and arm with the splint no longer needed.

“ _The bones have set, but it will take two days for the wounds to properly heal, goddess,_ ” the soul said in a breathy voice, gathering up his supplies. “ _If you feel strong enough to walk yourself, please be cautious and patient. Even immortals need time to rest._ ” Standing, the soul bowed his head to her then turned and folded into a deeper bow to Camila and Lilith. “ _I shall see myself out, my Hades, Goddess Nyx._ ”

“Thank you, Brasidas.” Lilith inclined her head and watched the soul leave the room, before turning back to Amity. “Why don’t we see about finding you something more comfortable to wear? Luz and Eda should be back soon. We’ll show you to your room.”

It was like walking through a living maze of stone and marble that seemed to shift ever so slightly with each turn they took. Every time Amity felt she had an understanding of where they might be, Lilith and Camila would make a turn and she’d suddenly find herself in a completely new section of the palace, the floor gently quivering beneath her feet for a moment, and then going still. They passed many rooms, some with doors open to reveal stores of foodstuffs or linens, others with doors that were shut tight. Any windows they passed looked out onto a different section of the Underworld: a distant shining city that could only be Elysium; wide grassy fields that seemed to go on forever; the drab, grey expanse of what she guessed must be the Mourning Fields, watching as rain poured down in sheets. Just when Amity came to the conclusion that she was well and truly lost, her hostesses came to a door and pushed it open, gesturing for her to enter.

“Here we are.”

The room Amity entered was spacious, much like the one she had met Camila and Lilith in, though this one had floor to ceiling windows dominating one entire wall, which led out to a balcony. Gauzy lavender curtains had been tied back from the windows, showing Amity the view of the bridge she and Luz had crossed to approach the palace. King’s distant shape drooped over the entrance, his three heads lolling over his paws as he slept. A bed sat across from the windows and fine, but simple linens which matched the curtains covered the inviting mattress and pillows, reminding Amity of her exhaustion. Against the far side of the wall was a wide divan with a low table set in front of it. A far cry from the overtly extravagant chambers Amity had grown up with in her family’s temple, but something about this room felt more welcoming. It felt warm and simple. It felt safe.

“The bathing chamber is just through there,” Lilith said, pointing to a door framed by a changing screen and fine wooden wardrobe. “Luz and Eda will be along shortly with some food for you. If you need anything, simply call and Brasidas will assist.”

Amity slowly turned on her heel to take in the room and stared at the waiting goddesses. “Why are you doing this for me?”

Lilith blinked and Camila smiled, taking Amity’s hand in her own. “Because our daughter trusts you, and because we know what it’s like to be ‘unfavorable’ to the gods of Olympus.” The older woman’s eyes darkened for a moment and her grip on Amity’s fingers tightened. Amity and Lilith moved to help her as she started to teeter forwards, Amity catching her around the waist, the folds of the long cape bunching against her hand.

“Dear,” Lilith’s voice was hardly above a whisper as Amity helped the goddess slowly stand, her hand sliding down to Camila’s wrist. “You need to rest, you’ve pushed yourself too far today. Perhaps we should leave our guest be until Luz returns?”

Breathing slowly, Camila nodded and her hand slipped from Amity’s careful grip into Lilith’s. “Yes, perhaps we should.” Meeting Amity’s worried eyes, Camila smiled. “The House of Hades is free for you to roam as you please. If you wish to be somewhere, simply will it, and you will find your way.”

A series of thuds and a loud bang came from the hallway, followed by a familiar voice and an equally familiar yelp.

“Dang it, Luz! Watch where you put that bident! I think you gouged one of my wings!”

“I’m sorry, Auntie! It’s not my fault you made a wonky landing!”

“Hey, that reentry is bumpy! Be happy I didn’t dump your sweet little keester into the river of fire!”

Sighing, Lilith pinched the bridge of her nose and gave Amity an apologetic smile. “Get some rest, goddess Persephone. I anticipate you’ll be seeing Luz-”

The aforementioned god all but lunged through the open door, as if she had been kicked or shoved, and a cluster of dark-grey feathers trailed from her back, a few sticking out of her helmet-less hair. Cradled in her hands was a heavy basket with a linen cloth tucked into it for a cover to protect what it contained. The scent of freshly baked bread and cheese wafting through the woven basket was enough to make Amity ravenous, but it was only countless years of her time amongst the rest of the Olympians that held her in place. Unfortunately, her stomach was not so well behaved and let out another traitorous growl.

“We’ll leave you be,” Lilith said, a smile tugging at her lips as she carefully led Camila past Luz and out of the room. “Edalyn! There are feathers everywhere! What were you doing when you arrived? Molting?”

“Shut up, Lily! It’s not any worse than that time you and Cammy went crazy with the shades!”

“ _Edalyn!_ ”

Wincing, Luz kicked the door shut with her heel. “Sorry about that, Mom and Auntie get a little loud when they argue.”

“That seems to be a common occurrence,” Amity muttered, shooting the door a dubious look.

“Yeah, they do actually love each other, it’s just how they act.” Hefting the basket in her hands, Luz walked over to the divan and set the basket on the table. “Anyways, I brought you something to eat. It’s not from the tables of Olympus, or from the Underworld, but it should be good.” She pulled back the linen to reveal a mound of bread, cheese, fruits, and even dried meats all packed together into the basket.

Amity did not recall crossing the room or standing at the table, but the next thing she knew, she was sitting on the divan with half a loaf of warm bread in one hand and a wedge of tangy cheese in the other. Both of which she was already chewing on with the gusto of a being, immortal or not, who had not seen food in far too long. It was only once she was onto her second helping that she remembered Luz standing off to the side and turned to the god. Swallowing the mouthful she was munching on, Amity ducked her head sheepishly as an embarrassed blush painted her cheeks.

“My apologies, I- I didn’t mean to- ”

“Nah, you’re good,” Luz waved a hand. “You should’ve seen me after my coronation to become Hades. Had to go a whole day and night walking through the Underworld without stopping for food. I think I beat my own personal record for eating so much in one sitting.”

Curious, Amity raised her eyebrow and glanced at the door to which the elder gods had departed. “So, your mother was Hades before you?”

“Yup. Passed the mantle on to me...fifty years ago?” There was a tightness in Luz’s eyes, but she grinned proudly. “She made it look a whole lot easier than it actually was.”

“And Nyx, is she your mother?”

Luz nodded. “Taught me everything I know about shadow magic.”

That made both of Amity’s eyebrows raise. “Shadow... magic?” She thought back to the moment Luz had appeared to fight off the soldiers from Olympus, how she seemed to move through the darkness itself, and how she had fended off the souls of the Acheron. Black flames that moved like liquid, neither burning nor cold to the touch. That intrigued her. “You can... control shadows?”

“Something like that. Want to see?”

Amity nodded and Luz walked around the lower table, rolling her neck and shoulders, before coming to a stop in the center of the room. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Luz lifted her right hand, palm open to the ceiling. At first, nothing happened, but then, in an instant, a stream of black wrapped around her arm to settle into her hand like a rippling mass that was somehow both fire and water at once. Amity watched in sheer astonishment as Luz rolled the ball of shadows over her arm and across her shoulders to sit in her left hand, spinning it on the tip of her index finger. Shooting a smug look at her enraptured audience, Luz bounced the shadow ball off her finger and grasped hold of it. Instantly, the shadows expanded into a long staff, still composed of the flexing mass, but when she spun it in her hands, Amity felt the gust of wind heralded by a solid object as it moved through the air. When the spinning stopped, Luz tossed the staff up and, catching it in both hands, flicked it to become a long shroud that shimmered like the finest silk.

“Here,” Luz carefully folded the material and held it out to Amity. “A little souvenir for your time as my guest.”

Stunned, Amity took the garment and her eyes widened at the luxurious softness of the material. The moment her fingers closed around it, the color shifted from the shadow-black to a warm magenta, the same color she herself had always admired. Her words failed her as she stared at the gift and slowly looked up at Luz’s pleased smile. “I- this is- thank you.”

“Of course!” Luz’s smile grew wider still. “You’re my guest, I gotta make sure you’re comfortable here.” Glancing down at the basket of food, Luz dusted off her hands and placed them on her hips. “Whelp, I’ll leave you be so you can eat and get some sleep. Maybe when you’re feeling up to it, I could show you around a bit? Not all of the Underworld is as dark and scary as it’s made out to be.”

Thumbs stroking the fabric in her hands, Amity looked up to Luz and nodded. “That... is a very kind offer. Thank you, Hades, for everything.”

Luz nodded and, turning on her heel, strode from the room. Her confident footsteps soon echoed away leaving the Goddess of Spring alone with her thoughts and holding the first gift given to her out of kindness that she had ever received.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a huge thank you to Tripower and her amazing artistry, who without this story would not exist.  
> Shoutout to the Beta readers for their help in editing this work.  
> See you all in the next chapter!


	3. Guiding Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title for this chapter is based on the Muse song of the same name.  
> As always, a huge thank you to the Beta readers for their help in editing this chapter!

Something was wrong.

Why was the sunlight shining on her eyelids from the wrong angle? Where was the noise that came from the servants running amok? What happened to the earthy scent of her mother’s garden wafting in through the open windows? Most of all, why did her right leg and left arm feel like they had been thrust into Hephaestus’ forge?

Against her better judgement, Amity peeled her eyes open to be greeted to by the sight of a ceiling that was decidedly _not_ her bedroom. Her gaze immediately fell to the soft, lavender colored sheets encompassing her body, and then to the matching curtains, closed against a wind that gently rustled them in place. Where did those come from? Rising from the mattress, Amity hissed at the stab of pain through her left arm and she jolted. The moment she saw the thick, carefully wrapped bandages around her forearm, her startled expression softened.

_‘That’s right, I left Olympus.‘_

The events of her escape and meeting the strange warrior who called herself Hades, but who looked every bit a mortal woman, rushed back to her as she flopped down onto the soft pillow. That annoying bird-tube ferryman, Cerberus being nothing but a grumpy, sleepy, hellhound, and the House of Hades with its wild and boisterous family. Nothing at all like what Amity thought the Underworld would be. Especially the fact that both the reigning Hades and her predecessor had to have been mortals, at least at some point in their life. Amity frowned at the thought as she stared at the ceiling.

Hades, the original one, had been rumored to have elected to search for his replacement outside the families the other Olympians had chosen. Had he actually gone down to Earth and selected a mortal and her daughter to be his successor? That would explain why their ears were round instead of pointed, but did that mean their blood was golden or crimson? Luz had told her she was the first god she had met in a long time, short of Thanatos and Nyx, so she was at least aware of the differences in their appearance. Still, a mortal to replace the Lord of the Underworld? 

Hunger gnawed at Amity’s stomach and she sat up again, this time careful not to use her injured limbs, and slowly shifted her way off the soft mattress to touch her feet to the floor. Wrapping the shroud Luz had made for her around her shoulders, Amity shuffled her way to the divan and selected some meat and cheese from the basket, along with a half-loaf of bread.

Aside from the raw tenderness in her arm and leg, Amity had to admit, she did feel better. Better enough that the thought of spending all her time recovering alone in this, admittedly luxurious, room had her feeling anxious. Luz had mentioned possibly showing her around the Underworld to prove it was not as bad as the other gods made it out to be.

 _‘Perhaps finding something a bit more travel-worthy to wear should be my first order of business.’_ Amity thought, glancing down at the simple toga she was wearing. She wanted something that she could move around in that would not limit her. Like the armor she always wore back when she was training for her mantle. Maybe there was an armory here in the palace she could go to?

Finishing off her meal, Amity carefully stood and limped her way to the door of her room, just as a small tremor rippled along the floor. It was not enough to throw Amity off balance, but she still had to catch herself on the wall. A quick knock on the door had her snapping to attention, a confused frown on her face, and an all-too familiar voice drifted through.

“Goddess? Are you awake?”

Amity limped to the door and pulled it open. Luz stood in the hall, her helm tucked under her arm and the bident held loosely in her hand, her armor and cape just as it had been when they first met.

“Hades?”

“Good morning,” Luz grinned at her, chipper as ever. “I, um, I was wondering if you were feeling better enough to maybe see the Underworld today? You’ve been asleep for a couple of days now, I figured you might want to get some fresh air. So to speak.”

Rolling her eyes at the word choice, Amity nodded. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I would appreciate that.” She glanced down at her toga and back up to Luz. “Actually, I was wondering if there is an armory I could possibly go to? I would like to find something comfortable to wear.”

Luz blinked and nodded, her grin even wider. “Of course! Follow me.” She surprised Amity by holding out her arm for her and, touched by the gesture, Amity looped her hands around it so Luz could guide her down the hall. Of course, she didn’t really need support anymore, her limp was much better now, but she had to admit it was nice of Luz to offer.

Once again, she was led through the labyrinthian assortment of hallways and rooms of the House of Hades, every so often feeling the floor shift beneath their feet. If she truly was going to stay here until she was fully recovered, she would need to understand how to navigate this place without getting lost.

“So,” Luz said after a few turns. “Did you sleep well? I know this place isn’t Olympus, and I wasn’t sure what you’re used to from living up there.”

A wry smile pulled at the corners of Amity’s lips. “If you say I was asleep for two days, then I would say I slept very well. I’ll admit, it’s a very unusual place, but I was indeed comfortable. The moving floors are a little strange though.” As if to prove her point, the marble shuffled again and she tightened her grip on Luz’s arm.

The god huffed lightly and nodded. “Yeah, the palace will lead you to where you want to go. Unless you’re part of the family of Hades, then you can actually control it yourself.”

Amity looked at her. “So, is that just yourself and your mother?”

“Nope, Mom and Auntie can do it too. That’s how we were able to get to Mami’s room with Auntie so quickly.” Luz lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “And here we are!” She led Amity around a corner to a large open door where through it, they saw rows upon rows of shining armor of varying styles. Seeing Amity’s stunned expression, Luz grinned smugly and pulled her into the room. “Persephone, welcome to the armory.”

Even in the halls of Olympus, Amity had never seen such a collection of armor pieces and weapons gathered together in such an organized and detailed manner. Helmets shelved in strict order lined one wall, while breastplates were mounted on mannequins, some even sporting full sets of armor. Greaves and bracers were laid out on low tables, spaced apart so that their size differences were easy to distinguish.

“Where did you get all of this?” She asked, breathless from the impressive display as she began to walk along the rows. “These can’t be from Olympus.”

Luz leaned her shoulder against the door as she watched Amity survey the different pieces. “They’re all from here.”

Amity slowly turned around. “Here?”

“Yup, all made from the finest grade of metals and raw materials found in the Underworld. Forged in the Phlegethon, some by yours truly.” Her smug smile made Amity arch an eyebrow.

“You forge your armor in the river of fire?”

“Well, I don’t go _in_ it, I just use it.” Pushing off the frame, Luz strolled over to a row of helmets and lifted one off the shelf. “Back when the Old Ones were running the world, Hephasteus gifted a forge for Hades to use, since he was so busy all the time and couldn’t always go to Olympus. Mami learned from Hades himself how to use it and, when I was old enough, she taught me. That’s how I got this scar,” she pointed to the line that split her upper lip.

Both of Amity’s eyebrows went up. “The fires burned you?”

“No, I smacked myself in the face with a hammer.” An embarrassed grin stretched across Luz’s face as she scratched the back of her head.

How was this woman the ruler of the Underworld? Turning her gaze from the dopey grin, Amity focused on the pieces of armor, searching. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was she was looking for, only that she wanted to have the necessary protection and be able to move freely. She may be the Goddess of Spring, but that didn’t mean she should not know how to fight. One of the many lessons the Persephone before her had taught her was to always be ready.

A flash of silver caught her eyes and Amity looked up at a shining metal breastplate hanging nearby that looked to be about her size. Carefully, she pulled the article down to hold it up to her shoulders. It was light, one of the thinner pieces of armor in the room, but it felt sturdy. She nodded, yes, this would work. Spotting a pair of black bracers and a right shoulder guard to match, Amity gathered the many armor pieces and, after a questioning glance at Luz, walked over to a large changing screen set up at the back of the room.

“You may want one of these.” Luz jogged over to her, a black, sleeveless toga in her hand.

Amity accepted it with a nod and slipped behind the screen. It was a bit difficult at first, considering the tenderness of her arm and leg. Amity winced at the jab of pain when she moved her leg after securing the leather waist around her hips. She needed something to keep the muscles stable, but what could she use? Her eyes darted up to a nearby shelf where rolls of binding material were carefully placed, and then to a shelf of greaves below. Perfect.

Tightening the last strip of material around her ankle, Amity hefted her shroud to wrap around her waist and tossed it over her left shoulder. Giving the bracer on her right arm a sharp tug, Amity stepped around the screen to see Luz’s back to her, looking over a collection of swords. Clearing her throat to get the god’s attention, Amity could not help the smug grin when Luz’s eyes widened.

The breastplate Amity had over her black toga was a soft silver with matching leather tassets that gently hugged her frame. A single black guard for her right shoulder was secured by a thick strip that crossed her chest, with black bracers locked on her wrists. Instead of sandals, Amity chose instead to wrap her calves and feet in thick cloth bindings, aside from a lone silver greave she had covering her right shin, held in place by a strip of black cloth. The magenta shroud swept dramatically over her shoulder and around her waist, hanging down her back in soft waves of fabric in the style of a half-toga.

“So...” Placing her hands on her hips, Amity raised an eyebrow. “Am I ready to see your realm?” She watched Luz open and close her mouth before the god finally found her voice, albeit a little high-pitched at first.

“Yes!” She cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes, you definitely look ready to go. I was thinking we could skip the chariot and just ride Nobody and Nowhere, if you’re up for that?”

Intrigued, since the only horses she had ridden belonged to her father, Amity nodded. “Yes, that sounds-” She stopped mid-sentence as something floated into the room on a sudden breeze. A soft, haunting sound that danced about, playfully tugging at her mind and urging her to listen. Her ears twitched as she tried to understand just what it was she was hearing, Amity saw Luz’s grip suddenly tighten on her bident and her eyes narrowed. “Music…” She whispered, frowning.

Amity stared at her and focused on the noise that had begun to fill the hall. “Yes, so it is…,” her voice trailed off in her confusion at Luz’s sudden wariness. “What’s wrong with that?”

“We’ve never had music in the Underworld before.”

The two gods shared a look and rushed out of the room, or, as quickly as Amity could move in her half-limp, half-jog while taking Luz’s offered arm for support once more. Now that she listened closely, she could hear something hidden within the alluring notes; a voice. Someone was singing, and it was coming from the throne room. Luz paused only for a moment to place her helm over her head before she and Amity exited the long hallway, and came to a stop behind a column, their gaze focused on the intruder ahead.

A woman stood in the entrance of the throne room, her low, husky voice lilting along with the cords of the instrument she strummed with precision. Amity could tell even from the distance between them it was a lyre the woman was playing. She had seen and heard many of them in the halls of Olympus, but the way this woman played it was different. The notes danced about the air, they seemed to draw the attention of everyone around and hold them. Souls hovered in place, enchanted by the woman’s voice and her music, their faces relaxed in a dream-like state. Amity felt the pull of the music, but not enough to fall under its spell, just enough to capture her attention.

Luz, on the other hand, was not in the least entranced by the supernatural tone, and her grip tightened on her bident.

“Stay here, please,” she whispered and, lifting her bident, the god’s footsteps announced her presence as she entered the room. The lyrist did not seem at all perturbed by the arrival of the armored god. Instead, her deep, violet eyes slid to Luz’s approaching form and the music continued, even when Luz stood in front of her. After a moment, Luz smiled.

“You do know that’s not working on me, right?”

The woman raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t try.” Her fingers stopped dancing along the strings and, instantly, the spell holding the souls in place broke, the shimmering figures blinking and shaking their heads in confusion.

From her place behind the pillar, Amity watched the woman drop to a knee and bow her head in a single, fluid motion, placing a clenched fist against the rough leather chestplate over her heart. “Am I in the presence of Hades, ruler and guardian of the Underworld?”

“That’s me,” Luz regarded the woman. “I’ve never seen a living mortal enter the Underworld before. How did you make it past the Acheron?”

“I should think that would be obvious,” the woman said, her head still bowed, but her eyes flicked up to Luz. “You would be surprised by how often the right music can earn you a free voyage.” She smiled then, a slow knowing smile that drew the corners of her mouth up as far as Amity had ever seen a mortal do before. It reminded her of the same look her brother and sister always wore when they knew something no one else did. 

Tilting her head, Luz considered the mortal carefully. It was hard for Amity to read Luz’s face with that helm but, from where she stood, she could see Luz was watching the mortal closely. “Follow me.” Turning on her heel, Luz strode to the throne in the center and the mortal stood to follow, stopping at the base of the dais while Luz sat on the magnificently carved chair. “So, how did you make it here all by yourself? My family and I are the only ones who know the location of the entrance to the Underworld.”

“Indeed.” The woman nodded, the braid of her midnight-black hair shifting against her back. “It was quite the effort finding a way in without - _ahem_ \- dying. So, I improvised with my music, using the melodies to enchant the entrance open. From there, I simply followed the souls to the dock where your rather...unique, ferryman awaited. He was quite persistent that I pay the toll, but once I found the right notes to play, my passage was secured.”

Amity bit back a smirk at the annoyed sigh from Luz while she watched the mortal. For someone who claimed to be a musician, the woman was not dressed as one. With her dark leather breastplate and green stole, she looked more like a soldier ready for battle than a songstress. The only article that did not match the warrior’s look was her lyre, which she held close to her chest, fingers lightly plucking the strings even though there was no intent to play. She held herself with the confident air of someone who had a plan for anything that could possibly happen, but the twitch of her fingers over the strings made Amity frown. As if there were something she was waiting for.

Luz leaned forward from her throne, hands clasped together. “I have to say I’m amazed you made it here, but, _why_ are you here?”

The woman’s eyes flicked away and she turned her head, breaking the connection. Amity watched her shoulders rise as she took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Luz, the light from the torches dancing in her eyes.

“My husband.” The words were barely above a whisper. “Eurydous.” The woman paused, as if collecting her thoughts, her gaze hardening. “I have come here to ask your permission, Hades, that he be brought back to life.”

There was a weight to those words, Amity felt them, and, from the tightness in the seated god’s shoulders, she knew Luz had felt them too. Curiosity getting the better of her, Amity walked around the column and approached the throne. The woman’s gaze caught her and she raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Luz glanced over her shoulder, surprised to see Amity standing just off to the side of her throne. Instantly, the woman folded to one knee in the same bow as she had for Luz, hand once again over her heart.

“Goddess, my sincerest apologies for not seeing you enter the room. I didn’t realize I was in the presence of two divine beings of the Underworld. Please, forgive me.”

Amity blinked before shaking her head and taking a step forward. She held her hand out to the mortal. “You are forgiven, but, I am not a being of the Underworld. I am merely a guest here.”

The woman looked up at her at that, her surprise evident this time. Now that she was closer, Amity could see fatigue in the woman’s uniquely colored gaze, a tightness around her eyes. Her shoulders though, held back in confidence, threatened to droop ever so slightly as she stood before the Underworld’s ruler, holding her lyre as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.

“I see,” her voice pulled Amity from her thoughts and she turned back to Luz, the grin returning to her face, but it did not reach her eyes. “So, Hades, what do you say? Can my husband be returned to the Land of the Living?”

Silence stretched out as Luz stared at the mortal, one knee lightly bouncing as the only sign of movement as she thought. There was no possible way for a mortal to be brought back, Amity thought, no one would have dared to ask for such a favor. This woman was either very confident, or simply beyond comprehension in her grief. Hearing movement, Amity watched Luz sigh and pull her helm from her head, briefly running her fingers through her unkempt hair before setting the article on the arm of her throne.

“I honestly don’t know.” The look in Luz’s eyes was sorrowful, her grip tightening on her bident. “It is a tricky thing to reverse death. I’ve heard that if a soul can remember their way back to the Land of the Living _and_ survive the journey, well then… perhaps.. But, no one has ever succeeded before.”

A huff escaped the woman’s lips and she opened her mouth as if to speak, but paused, rethinking her response. “Maybe so, but, has a living mortal ever succeeded in _entering_ the Underworld before?”

That was an interesting point, Amity had to admit. Seeing both the gods considering her words, the woman pressed further.

“I know it sounds selfish, to ask to take my husband from his eternal rest, but he was all I had.” She stopped to take a breath. “He died protecting me because I was foolish and let my anger get the best of me. If I had been more careful and not let my anger consume me, I would not have disturbed that snake and Eurydous would be alive.”

Amity’s jaw dropped and Luz leaned forward. They both knew who the woman was talking about; the mortal man they had seen gain access to Elysium. Slowly, Luz stood from her throne and held her hand to the mortal in an invitation to stand. She tapped the floor with the end of her bident and Brasidas appeared at her side.

“Please go to Elysium and tell Eurydous his wife awaits him in the throne room.”

Brasidas folded in a quick, disciplined bow. “ _At once, my Hades._ ” His form rippled like water before fading away. The woman looked from where the servant had disappeared to Luz, her eyes wide.

“Elysium?”

“He died a hero.” Luz smiled, but her lower lip quivered slightly. “Protecting the one he loved. When he was told where he was to go, he said he would wait for his wife. Looks like he did not have to wait long.”

The woman blinked, but before she could say anything, Brasida phased back into the throne room. Beside him was a familiar mortal man with short black hair that stood out in multiple angles, with a tall, lithe stature. His lupine green eyes snapped to the woman standing before Luz and, faster than Amity had seen a mortal move before, he had crossed the space and wrapped his arms around the woman’s shoulders, his face buried in her neck. The woman’s arms were around him just as quickly, visibly shaking as a heavy sob wracked her body. Amity shot a glance at Luz to see orange light fading from her fingers that trailed from the man’s now corporeal form.

“ _He was standing outside of the gates to Elysium,_ ” Brasdias said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “ _He said until his muse arrived, he would not enter paradise._ ”

“Thank you, Brasidas,” the words sounded heavy in Luz’s throat and with a start, Amity realized she was fighting back tears. If the soul noticed, he did not say anything, only bowed and vanished from sight. When Luz turned back to her, Amity returned her gaze to the couple before them.

The man, Eurydous, held his wife close, a hand slowly running up and down her back. “My muse,” he whispered softly. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for you,” her voice trembled as she spoke, her hands fisting in the fabric of his toga.

“How?” He pulled back to meet her eyes. “The way to the Underworld is impossible for a living mortal to cross.”

The woman looked at him, tears staining her face, and began to laugh. A full, unapologetic laugh that Amity could not help but smile at, as well as Luz. Laughter fading away, the woman fixed Eurydous with the same knowing grin as earlier.

“But you forget my love, there is always my way. And I found it.”

“Yes,” he chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. “You did. You always do.”

The couple held each other for a few more moments and then Luz tapped the floor with her bident for their attention. Amity heard a sniffle and watched Luz quickly swipe a thumb over her eyes before clearing her throat. A Hades who showed her emotions so openly to mortals? Amity crossed her arms as she watched Luz approach the waiting pair. She had been taught from an early age that showing any sign of emotion, any at all, was an opening for the enemy to use it against you. How could Luz be so free with her emotions, even to the mortals, and why?

“You are free to go.” Luz smiled at them and pointed with her bident to the palace entrance. “The gates to the Underworld will stay open and no one will trouble you. Charon will deliver you right to the door.” Eyes shining with tears, the god waved her hand over them and an orange mist dusted Eurydous’ form. “When you leave the Underworld, it will be as if you never died.”

Eurydous bowed low and his wife dropped to her knee. “Kind Hades, I cannot thank you enough for bringing us together. I owe you my life, so to speak,” she chuckled. “More, I owe you my heart.” She smiled fondly at Eurydous, before returing her gaze to the god. “How can I repay you?”

“Could I have your name?”

The woman tilted her head curiously. “My name?”

Luz nodded. “I wish to remember the mortal who crossed the Underworld alone to find her husband.”

A single eyebrow raised, the woman glanced at her husband, and then to Amity, startling the goddess when those sharp violet eyes landed on her. They remained for a single moment, before switching back to Luz, then her lips pulled back into a wide grin. “My name is Orpheus.”

“Orpheus,” Placing her fist over her heart, Luz bowed to the couple. “Keep playing that lyre as you go, and enjoy your second chance at a life with Eurydous.”

“I will,” Orpheus slipped her hand into her husband’s much larger one and smiled up at him. “Perhaps we should leave the ruler of the Underworld and her guest alone? I fear I may have interrupted their plans for the day.” She turned back to Luz and bowed. “Thank you, Hades,” she glanced at Amity. “Goddess.” Tucking her lyre beneath her arm, Orpheus and her husband turned and walked out of the throne room, their footsteps fading away as they exited the palace.

Amity watched the figures disappear and turned to Luz. “Are you sure that’s going to work? What if the Underworld doesn’t let them leave together?”

Scooping her helmet off the armrest of her throne, Luz shrugged. “The Underworld and I are connected, so as long as they have my permission to leave, nothing should keep them from doing so.”

“But, if no mortal soul has ever tried to leave before, how do you know it will work?”

Luz looked at her and smiled. “Instinct. So, about that tour. Are you still up for seeing if the Underworld is better than Olympus says it is?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Amity shot a look in the direction Orpheus and Eurydous had disappeared and turned back to Luz. “So far, you’ve been doing an excellent job of taking every rumor I’ve heard so far about you and your realm and flipping them on their heads. We might as well keep the theme going.” A smile tugged at her lips, but Amity held it back. “Lead the way, Hades.”

* * *

Olympus never had its shortage of grand parties, tables overflowing with food literally fit for the gods and endless helpings of wine and ambrosia. A shining golden city filled with life and livelihood, where the gods could forever bask in comfort and ease. Just the paradise a divine being was expected to enjoy.

As Luz and Amity approached the wide open gates of Elysium, Nobody and Nowhere moving at a leisurely trot, the goddess was greeted with a very different sense of the word ‘paradise’. A seemingly unending grouping of beautiful villas with waterfalls and rivers weaving around them spread out before the pair. Grass of the deepest emerald Amity had ever seen, even compared to her mother’s forest, spread out like a blanket everywhere she looked, the tips of the blades waving at her in a gentle breeze.

“My Hades!” A mortal who was jogging towards them waved, skidding to a halt before the two horses. Placing a fist over his heart, the man bowed low, his long dark hair falling about his bare shoulders. “It is an honor to have you with us today. The souls are anxious to see you.”

Amity blinked in surprise as she pulled Nowhere to a stop. The souls of Elysium were not afraid of seeing Hades?

Luz gently pulled back on Nobody’s reins to stop beside Amity, her signature smile in place. “Oh, come on, Achilles. You know I’m always happy to visit you.” She nodded to Amity. “I wanted to show our guest, Persephone, around the Underworld and figured Elysium was a good starting point.”

Achilles turned his gaze to Amity, surprise and awe evident on his face. “Goddess of Spring.” He bowed to her in the same manner he had to Luz. “Welcome to Elysium. I would be humbled to show you our paradise.”

Blinking, Amity shot a glance at Luz, to which she nodded, and turned back to Achilles. “Thank you, Achilles. I would greatly appreciate that.”

The warrior spirit led them down the smooth dirt road through the collection of villas and fields. Well, Amity thought as Nowhere followed their guide, it certainly wasn’t anything like Olympus, full of feasting and partying. But, it was beautiful and it was peaceful. Mortals watched them from the villas, bowing low as they passed by, though Amity could hear them muttering when they saw her.

“Those ears, she must be an Olympian.”

“Why is there a goddess in the Underworld?”

“Has our Hades chosen a wife?”

Hearing that last one made Amity’s face go a bright red and she focused on Achilles’ words to tune the whispering out. He spoke of the weather always being clear, day or night, warm like the summer, but without the stifling heat. Food and wine was available for them at any time, but if any of the residents wanted to farm for and prepare their own meals, the option was there. Labor was no longer required for survival. And if a soul felt a calling to have another chance at life, if they felt they could do more back in the world of the living, then they were free to leave.

“Leave?” Amity frowned, shooting a questioning glance at Luz. “I thought you said no mortal could leave the Underworld?”

“Not to the life they already lived,” Luz said. “If they want to return to the Mortal Realm, they have to be willing to be reborn into a new life.”

There was a word Amity knew for that process. “Reincarnation. But, how is that possible in the Underworld? To be reborn?”

A knowing smile appeared on Luz’s face. “Funny you ask, because that’s where we are going next.” She looked to Achilles. “Are there any souls who have asked to be reincarnated?”

“Two, actually,” Achilles gestured towards a villa nearby. “This will make it their second rebirth.”

Luz leaned over to Amity. “Which means if they pass and achieve Elysium a third time, they will go to the Isle of the Blessed.”

Amity turned to Luz. “Do they know that?”

“Sort of.” Waving her hand in a so-so motion, Luz shrugged as they followed Achilles to the waiting villa. “The soul remains the same, but the mortal and the life they live will be different.”

“Not all souls who achieve Elysium wish to be reborn,” Achilles said, looking at them over his shoulder. “Those who do usually wish to feel alive again and do good in the same manner they did before, to achieve Elysium again. Those who stay do because they are content with their new life in the Underworld and wish to help the ones who have recently passed adjust.”

“Except if a soul is sent to Tartarus,” Luz interjected. “They are the only souls who do not get to be reborn. Their sins bind them from having that second chance. Even the souls in the Acheron have a chance at being reborn, but as long as they refuse their chance at happiness, they stay trapped in the river.”

Achilles nodded. “It is not the Underworld that decides who is to be happy and who is to suffer, it is the soul. Aside from Tartarus, of course.”

“Is that what you do, then?” Amity asked. “Help the newer souls here adjust?”

The warrior nodded. “At first, I was ashamed of my life when I made my journey to the Underworld. I had chosen a life of glory and violence, taken countless lives as any soldier does on the field of battle. I would have rather been a slave to the worst of the masters than be made a leader of the dead. Until my good friend, Ulyssus, sailed here on his unending quest to return home and told me of my son’s deeds in the Trojan war.” A nostalgic smile tugged at his lips as he relived the memory in his mind. “Hearing of Neoptolemus’ exploits and seeing my friend again gave me a sense of purpose, so I chose to take my responsibility seriously and help the new arrivals adjust. I’ve been happier ever since.”

When they reached the villa, Achilles called out to the mortals who wished to be reborn. Two figures stepped from the doorway, their hands held tightly together between them. The first woman watched the gods with a sharp, feral light in her tawny-brown eyes, her long blonde hair falling about her shoulders. Beside her, a woman with dark skin and even darker eyes had a more calm and collected air about her, her short black hair pulled back from her face.

Amity watched Luz slide off Nobody’s saddle and approach the couple, her bident at her side.

“Achilles tells me you both wish to drink the waters of the river Lethe and be reborn again?”

The darker woman nodded. “This is true.”

“You do realize,” Luz said, in a cautious tone, “that when you drink the waters, you will be separated and born into a life completely different from the one you had before?”

“It doesn’t matter,” the blonde woman said, her voice determined. “We’ll find each other. We did it this time, we’ll do it again.”

Luz cocked her head to the side and Amity heard the god hum thoughtfully before nodding. “I know you will. I’ll take you to the river Lethe where you will be reborn.” She looked at Achilles. “Thank you for showing me and Persephone Elysium, you are free to return to your duties.”

The warrior bowed to Luz, and then to Amity. “It was my honor, my Hades, Goddess.”

Instead of taking the same route they had to enter Elysium, Luz led Amity and the couple to one of the many rivers that cut through the emerald fields. As they neared it, the bright colors began to fade away, bleeding away to a lifeless husk of its paradise-like self. When Amity turned in Nowhere’s saddle, she saw, not Elysium and its beautiful surroundings, but instead a cold cavern of grey rock. Black sand shifted beneath the horses’ hooves on a shore that sloped down to meet a river of water that shimmered with an opalescent sheen. Amity felt Nowhere start to follow the women as they descended towards the water, but Luz reached out to stop her with a hand on her shoulder.

“We have to let them do this without our help,” she said, watching as the couple knelt before the swirling river.

Frowning, Amity looked from Luz to the women. “You said you know they’ll find each other again. How is that possible?”

Luz surprised her with a smug grin. “Watch.”

Amity looked back to watch the blonde woman carefully cup the waters of the Lethe in her hands and hold them up for the other to drink. The darker woman shot her a wry look and smiled.

“See you soon, Burning Hands.”

The blonde woman grinned back. “Higher, further, faster, baby.”

Once she had drunk, the darker woman did the same, her eyes not leaving the blonde’s as she drank from her hands. Within moments of her having finished all she could, their forms shimmered and faded away, leaving only two glowing orbs of silvery-blue light. Feeling a finger tap her shoulder, Amity glanced over at Luz to see her pointing towards the orbs.

“See that little string between them?”

It was faint, but Amity could see a small red strand linking the orbs together, pulsing like a tiny heartbeat.

“That means their souls are bound together, no matter how many times they will be reborn.” Luz’s eyes stayed on the orbs as they rose to the cavern’s ceiling and phased through the rocky surface. “No matter how far apart they are, or who they are born to be, they will be drawn to each other. And...” she pulled on Nobody’s reins to lead the way out of the cavern. “...if they prove themselves to be heroic for a third time, they will be sent to the Isle of the Blessed.”

Amity narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “The island that you said hovers over the Fields of Mourning and keeps it in eternal rain?”

“Yup.” Luz nodded as they reached the entrance of the cavern. “We can skip the Fields of Mourning, and Tartarus. You already saw a part of the Fields when we arrived at the palace. They’re not much to see, just an ongoing grey land full of rain and sadness. But Tartarus, that’s going to have to stay off limits. That’s the place where the Titans are held captive and the worst of the worst are sent to be punished for all eternity. The way in has to be kept a secret for only the family of Hades, and we’re the only ones who can open the gates. But, the Isle of the Blessed is the most beautiful realm of all the Underworld. Mami and Mom like to go there for retreats sometimes. We have a villa there for the family of Hades.”

“Really?” Amity raised an eyebrow and shot a curious glance at the massive island floating far off in the distance. “As I can only see the bottom of it, I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Actually,” Luz was smiling as the horses trotted along the quiet path. “The Isle is going to be the last stop of our tour for the day because, for our next stop, we’re going to have to take a slight detour.”

As much as those words left Amity feeling somewhat on edge, she was intrigued. So, when Luz urged Nobody into a gallop, she did the same with Nowhere. The dread steeds were not only fast when they chose to be, but they were precise with each hoofbeat, hardly panting as they raced. Soon, they were surrounded on both sides by an endless field of soft green grass that rose up past the knees of the horses. Mortal souls drifted about, their features calm and serene, not seeming to care about the perpetual breeze playing with the blades of grass.

“Goddess,” Luz said with a grin, sweeping her hand out before them. “Welcome to my favorite place of the Underworld: the Asphodel Meadows. This is where mortal souls go when they live a simple life, not too big and heroic, but also not a bad one. Sort of a medium place, in a way.”

After the noise of rushing water from the river Lethe and the calm, but still active, style of Elysium, Amity was surprised at the quiet and ease of the meadows. The strands of grass made a soft shuffling sound as they rubbed against one another, a disarming that blanketed the fields in a thick layer of serenity. When the breeze brushed past Amity’s skin, she shivered slightly at the unexpected warmth it carried. It reminded her of late spring, with the scent of blossoms and sun dancing through it. The temptation to climb off Nowhere’s back and lay down in the grass to enjoy the peaceful meadows tugged at her like the gentle embrace of sleep on a warm summer’s eve.

Amity blinked and shook the thought from her head, turning to Luz. “Why is this your favorite realm instead of Elysium or the Isle?”

“Dunno,” Luz shrugged. “It’s quiet and peaceful and there’s nothing to do, really. But any time I’ve been stressed, I just come here.” Taking a deep breath, Luz closed her eyes and leaned back slightly in her saddle. “And feel totally safe.”

Right as Amity drew breath to ask more, a shape suddenly rushed through the grass and shot between the horses. The dread steeds reared in shock as a massive dark figure vanished into the field across from whence it came, leaving a strange path of curious claw marks in the dirt.

Pulling back on Nowhere’s reins in an attempt to control the steed, Amity’s eyes quickly scanned the shifting green curtain. A black, bulbous body rose from the blades and eight beady red eyes latched onto her as a pair of jagged pincers snapped hungrily.

“ **Blood of Olympus for me to feast upon,** ” the gigantic spider hissed, raising a clawed limb.

Nowhere shrieked and Amity jerked the steed’s head out of the way as the claw came down, but the sound of metal ringing filled her ears and Amity gasped as Luz and Nobody leapt into the spider’s path. The god cried out as claws slashed down her left shoulder and the bident swung in an upward arc, slicing the offending limb from the creature’s body. The spider shrieked incoherently and stumbled back as Luz pushed forwards, ramming the bident’s tips into its shiny black abdomen. Greenish-grey blood erupted from the wound and fell on the ground in thick globs that hissed as they hit the dirt.

Undeterred, Luz jumped from Nobody’s saddle and, dodging the acidic blood, she swung again and again, lopping off more limbs with each slice. Soon, the spider was nothing more than a writhing body with eight stubs flailing pathetically on the ground. Her eyes glowing with that same orange light Amity had seen on the river, Luz shot around the spider’s snapping jaws and stabbed the twin tips of the bident through the monster’s head, pushing down as it thrashed in a feeble attempt to escape.

“ **You are not welcome here,** ” Luz snarled, her hand reaching beneath her collar for something Amity could not see. Suddenly, a square patch of light appeared behind the spider that quickly folded out into the shape of a door. For a single moment, Amity saw a large yellow eye blink open and Luz clenched the staff of her bident. “ **Go back to Tartarus, child of Arachne.** ”

The spider shrieked as Luz gripped the bident and shoved the oozing body through the glowing door before it again folded in on itself and vanished from sight. Breathing heavily, Luz turned and trudged back to Nobody. She avoided meeting Amity’s eyes as she climbed back into the saddle.

“Sorry, Goddess, but the tour is over. We’re going back to the palace.”

Many emotions ran through Amity’s eyes as they rode forward in silence. Shock at the sudden change from peaceful and calm to violent and frightening the next. Fear of the monster that had wanted to drink her blood, the blood of an Olympian. Worry for Luz, who was covered in the green acidic blood of the monstrous spider and bearing a massive slash mark on her left shoulder guard. But beneath all of that, there was a small sense of something else; something warm in her chest at the thought of Luz coming to her aid. Just like how Luz had saved her from her mother’s minions and again with the souls in the river. As they approached the palace entrance, Amity took a deep breath, deciding she should say something to Luz. However, before she could say anything, a shout drew their attention and they turned to see Minos running towards them, waving her hands in the air.

“Boss! Boss! You’re not gonna believe it! The musician is back!”

Luz pulled Nobody to a halt, her eyes growing wide. “Orpheus?”

“Yeah, her!” Minos nodded eagerly. “She’s in the judge’s room with her hubby, Eurydous. They want to talk to you.”

Taken aback, Luz shot a look at Amity and quickly jumped down from Nobody to follow the judge back. Not wanting to miss this, Amity slid off her saddle and ran after Luz as a mortal soul appeared to take the horses to their stables. She came to the judge’s room just behind Luz and, sure enough, Orpheus and Eurydous were standing off to the side. The moment the musician’s sharp eyes fell on the two gods, her face split into that wide, knowing grin and she walked up to them, Eurydous holding her hand and her lyre clasped in the other. The couple dropped to their knees, hands over their hearts as they bowed.

“Hades, Goddess Persephone,” Orpheus said, her low, husky voice reverent. “It is an honor to see you again.” Her eyes took in the spider blood covering Luz and shot a look of surprise at Amity, who quickly shook her head.

“It’s good to see you again too,” Luz said slowly. “What are you doing back here? I thought you wanted to go back to life in the Mortal Realm?”

“We did, at first,” Eurydous said when they stood. “But, as we journeyed back to the entrance, we realized that we were never truly happy, back on the surface. Few wished to listen to our music or our tales. Being the son of a muse can only grant you so much,” he shook his head. “But then I thought of something; perhaps the Underworld could use some music to liven things up?”

Luz’s jaw dropped open and Amity blinked, looking at Orpheus. “You would give up a life in the Mortal Realm to spend an eternity in the Land of the Dead? Why?”

Instead of answering, Orpheus lifted the lyre and began to strum its cords. The haunting tunes drew in the attention of the souls and the judges, everyone around them except for Luz, Amity, and Eurydous.

“Not everyone is willing to trust a musician who can enchant the attention of others,” Orpheus said, ending after a few notes. “Who is to say it is not only mortals I can hold in thrall? What if I held the power to enchant the gods as well?”

Amity shot a curious glance at Luz and the god laughed. “Well, good luck getting that to work on my moms and Aunty. But,” Rolling the bident between her thumb and fingers, Luz smiled. “If they like what you play, I’m sure Mami will give you and Eurydous a place to stay.”

For a moment, Orpheus’ eyes widened and Amity could have sworn she saw tears shining in the violet gaze, but the musician blinked and they were gone.

“Well,” she cleared her throat. “It is good to finally meet a god who has some sense in their head for a change. Perhaps that snake was a warning to the both of us that we are no longer welcome in the Mortal Realm.”

“Maybe she could live close to Elysium?” Minos suggested from her seat at the table, Rhadamanthus nodding in agreement. “We can finally get some good tunes around here.”

“That would be an idea,” Orpheus said, nodding in agreement. “While I know Eurydous is a deserver of Elysium,” she squeezed his hand and they smiled at each other before she looked back to Luz. “But - and please know I mean no offense - I would be quite bored.”

Raising an eyebrow, Amity watched Luz mull the idea over.

“She could stay at the palace,” Rhadamanthus spoke up, her eyes not leaving the scroll of the mortal soul in front of them. “Eurydous can stay with her. It shouldn’t be that hard to add an extra room.”

Both Orpheus and Eurydous looked at Luz, as did Amity, all curious to see what she would say. Slowly, the god’s lips pulled back into a smile and she nodded.

“I think that’ll work. Orpheus and Eurydous, it would be my honor if you two accepted the roles of Bard and Orator of the House of Hades.”

Orpheus bowed low. “Thank you, Hades, I shall do my best to entertain you and yours properly.”

“As will I,” Eurydous said, bowing as well.

Taking her husband’s hand, Orpheus followed the mortal soul that appeared at their side, her grin never leaving her face. “How about we find something to eat? I’m starving.”

Amity chuckled as she followed Luz out of the judges’ chamber, but when the bridge of shadows formed for them to traverse back to the palace, she could see the tension returning to the god’s shoulders. Not even when they reached the steps of the temple did Luz look at her, choosing instead to focus on the way ahead as they entered the palace.

“Mija!” Camila cried the moment they stepped into the throne room. The elder Hades broke from Lilith and rushed over to them, not even bothering to avoid the patches of spider blood as she wrapped her left arm around her waist. “What happened?” Luz opened her mouth to speak, but Camila cut her off with her hand before she could say a word. “Never mind about that, right now we need to see to those burns. I told you arachne blood was dangerous.”

Luz barely had the chance to speak before her mother hauled her out of the room and down one of the many halls. A hand on Amity’s shoulder made her jump and she turned to see Lilith standing beside her.

“We should probably see to you as well,” her dual grey and teal eyes swept over Amity’s frame and she looped an arm through hers, firmly steering the goddess after them.

Soon, Amity found herself in a bright room full of dried herbs, bandages, and jars full of healing salves shelved in meticulous fashion along the walls. Luz was sitting nearby, her armor removed, leaving her in a surprisingly plain white toga with purple lining. The ever-present Brasidas and another servant had wiped the congealed blood from the god’s skin and were currently dabbing a clear gel over the burns left by the arachne. Amity had lucked out in avoiding the acidic blood, but Camila insisted the bandages on her arm and leg be changed for fresh ones. After Luz explained the cause of the attack, Lilith shared a concerned look with her wife and they departed the room quickly, saying she would need to have a talk with Eda about patrolling the meadows.

“It seems Olympus is not finished with us,” Lilith whispered to Camila as they exited, Amity’s ears twitching at the words. “We will need to be ready for more.”

From the corner of her vision, Amity could see Luz looking her way and then quickly turning in the other direction. When she finally did look at her, worry filled her eyes. Scratching the back of her head, Luz sighed and shifted in her seat.

“Listen, Goddess, about what happened in the meadows, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s alright, Luz,” Amity raised a hand to cut her off. “You don’t have to apologize. I understand the Underworld is still a dangerous place, but, you helped show me that it really isn’t as terrible as the rest of Olympus made it out to be.”

Luz gaped at her. “You - you called me Luz.”

“That is your name, isn’t it?” Amity’s lips pulled into a soft half-smile at the stunned reaction. “As I may be here for some time more, we might as well leave the formalities behind us.”

If Amity had the goal of making her jaw drop further, she had just received the gold medal. “You still want to stay? Even after the monster?”

“It’s no worse than what I had to deal with back home.” Her gaze hardened for a moment, and then softened. “I’m content with staying here and further accepting your hospitality, if you are still offering it?”

“I - uh - yes, of course! I’d be happy to, Amity!” Instantly, Luz slapped a bandage-covered hand to her mouth. “Sorry.”

Rolling her eyes, Amity shook her head and, careful to avoid touching the spots of healing salve, pulled Luz’s arm down. “Like I said, Luz, we can forget the formalities. Just call me Amity. Not ‘Persephone’ or ‘Goddess’ just Amity.”

“Amity.” Nodding, Luz bowed to her, a hand over her heart. “It’s an honor.”


	4. Into the Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special notice: as of right now, Apple mobile devices are not showing artwork posted in Ao3 chapters. For those of you who are unable to view the chapter pics, please use this link to view Tripower's breathtaking art:  
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The tree was mocking her. At least, Amity felt like the tree was mocking her. Considering the fact this was the Underworld and everything behaved differently than it did on Olympus and the Mortal Realm, it should not have been that much of a shock that making a simple tree bloom would be different as well. Still, Amity’s palms ignited in deep magenta light and she pressed them to the smooth bark, searching for that tiny hint of life hidden deep within its form. It was there beneath the surface, but she felt it pull away every time she reached out to it, and it was starting to annoy her.

After the incident with the arachne, Amity felt the need to exercise her powers as Goddess of Spring, and went to the family of Hades in the hopes that they would have something for her. A place to practice. It was Eda, of all people, who showed Amity the trees that had grown along the palace grounds.

“They’re not the prettiest to look at,” the death god said as she slapped the pale bark. “But that’s what comes with growing in a place without sunlight.”

“What about the light from the palace?” Amity nodded to the radiant glow atop the structure. “Doesn’t that count?”

“That’s powered by the river of fire, kiddo. If you’re hit by that light, it’ll cook you up like Tantalus’ feast.” Seeing the unnerved look on Amity’s face, Eda snorted and patted her shoulder. “These trees never experienced spring, so they never had the chance to bloom. They’re not dead, just haven’t known the touch of nature that only the Goddess of Spring can provide. This would be the perfect spot for you to practice.”

One week later and she was still no closer to maintaining her powers than the day she ran from Olympus. An irritated snarl bubbled up from deep in her throat and her hands dropped from the trunk of the tree, glaring at the cypress as if it was responsible for her lack of control. 

‘ _You will never have the strength for the mantle of a goddess. Do not waste your energy on such a useless role as Goddess of Spring. It will be too much for you to control._ ’

Amity’s eyes flared open at the memory of her mother’s words. “You want control?” She growled, the magenta light erupting over her hands and up her arms “I’ll show you control!” Her fist slammed against the tree, the explosive power jarring her bones from the impact as if she had punched a solid stone wall. The pain rattled up her arm and into her shoulder, making her jolt back with a hiss. The tree was still without its blossoms, but now had a large splotch of something that looked vaguely like moss. A soft lichenous covering the same shade of her powers.

The tree was indeed mocking her.

Right as Amity was about to grab the damn thing and rip it from the ground by force, a shadow appeared on the ground beside her. A _big_ shadow. Frowning at the odd two points atop the shadow’s head, Amity turned and a wall of iron-grey fur and muscle filled her vision. Then, she looked up.

“Pardon the intrusion, Goddess, but may I be of some assistance?” the Minotaur asked. His wide obsidian horns caught the light shining from atop the palace as he studied Amity’s slack-jawed face with large, dark eyes. A thick mane of black trailed from the top of his head down his spine, tied back at the nap of his neck. Light grey stripes ran along his entire upper body, rippling as he crossed his arms over his chest. True to the myth, as Amity could see, his powerful legs tapered into sharp, black hooves. A loincloth was wrapped around his narrow waist with black armored tassets to cover him, though Amity doubted it was for modesty’s sake.

“I, um-” Doing her best to find her tongue in the presence of the sheer mass of the monster looming over her, Amity cleared her throat. “Minotaur, I did not realize you were down here. I thought you were in the labyrinth on Minos.”

Huffing, the bull’s bovine lips quirked in a humorless smile. “I was, until the mortal Theseus slew me and my soul was banished to the Underworld. Fortunately, Nyx took pity on me and granted me new life to train her daughter.”

Amity raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You trained Luz?” She remembered Luz bringing up a gymnasium, but had promised that for a later day. The Minotaur was definitely not mentioned at all in that discussion.

The Minotaur smirked. “Yes, I trained the little sunbeam in the art of war, as well as learning how to control her godly mantle.” He gazed thoughtfully at Amity and glanced over her head at the tree covered with fuchsia moss behind her. “It appears you may be in need of some help in finding an outlet for your powers. I can help with that.”

“You mean, spar with you?”

“That is correct,.”

“What makes you think I need an outlet?” A hissing sound from behind caused her to turn to watch the patch of moss fizzle off the trunk of the tree and crumple into a pile of ash on the ground. Sighing, Amity shoved her fingers through hair, frustration boiling in her stomach. “On second thought, that sounds like a good idea.”

Nodding, the Minotaur uncrossed his arms. “Excellent. If you would, please follow me to the gymnasium, Goddess?”

* * *

Amity swung the wooden staff as hard as she could, the weapon swishing through the air in a smooth motion, only to be brought to a jarring halt by the Minotaur’s smooth block. She hardly perceived the movement of his quick guard before she shot back, swinging at his exposed side, only to be met with the same resistance.

“Your speed is impressive,” the Minotaur said, rotating his staff between his hands to change the angle as he halted another of Amity’s strikes. “But it’s not just about how quickly you can take your opponent down. It’s about knowing when to move, reading your opponent’s actions, and understanding their tells. For example,” He lunged forward and in a rush, Amity found herself on her back with her staff rolling out of numbed fingers.

Grunting, she pushed herself up to a sitting position as the Minotaur set the end of his staff on the dusty ground of the wide open area of the palace gymnasium, his hands resting on the top. Amity wasn’t really sure if they should be called hands; three thick digits acted very much like fingers, with opposable thumbs and all, but they were covered in a rough black hide. The fact he patiently waited for Amity to get to her feet only added fuel to the frustration simmering within.

“Patience is a must in combat,” said the Minotaur as Amity got to her feet, grabbing her staff. “You cannot simply take down an opponent by being the fastest or the strongest, you have to observe and learn from your enemy, you have to always be ready.”

This time, Amity saw the muscles in his legs bunch and managed to leap out of the way of the wooden staff sweeping up in an arch that made her hair shift in the breeze it created. Ducking low, she jabbed the end of her staff at his stomach, but he side-stepped, grabbing hold of the weapon to pull. Instinctively, Amity jerked back, expecting resistance. Instead, the Mintoaur smiled and let go.

Wincing from the pain of her backside unceremoniously hitting the ground, Amity glared at the half-bull creature. Her frustration roiled in her gut, a fiery-hot anger boiling beneath her skin, itching at her flesh. “Are you trying to piss me off? I thought you said you wanted to help!”

“Help will only work when you are willing to accept it.” The Minotaur’s tone was even as he held his hand to her. Amity glared at the odd appendage, but begrudgingly took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. “When I was in the Labyrinth, I allowed my primal instincts to control my mind, and my rage to dictate my actions. It was not until Theseus, did I realize I could be more than a force of destruction, but by then, it was too late. He took pity on me as I lay in a pool of my own blood and gave me a merciful release from the pain. I allowed my rage to consume me as I writhed in the Underworld, brooding on my death at the hands of the mortal who killed me out of ‘kindness’.”

His eyes narrowed at the memory. “One day, the Goddess Nyx came to me and offered me the chance to redeem my soul, by training the child of her beloved. When I saw the little sunbeam, and the joy she brought to this realm, I knew I had to better control my actions with my mind, not my emotions.”

“You’re saying I’m too emotional?” Amity frowned and the bull shook his head.

“There is nothing wrong with acting from an emotional standpoint. Emotions can be a very powerful tool, especially when it comes to the abilities one gains from the mantle of a god. However, it is only when the logic of the mind and the drive of emotion work together that their full potential may be unleashed.” He flicked a finger at her laurel. “Even the Old Ones, gods overnight though they were, still had to learn from their actions, even if they would never admit it. I am not a god, nor do I possess the powers of one, but I’ve been alive a very long time, and dead a lot longer than that and have seen gods and heroes come and go. Do not rush yourself with your powers, in time you will learn to control them in a way that works for you. Even our little sunbeam had to learn how to perform her abilities in her own unique way.”

“Hey, Minnow!”

The Minotaur’s eyes darted to something behind Amity and a wide smile spread across his face. Amity, however, did not need to turn around to see who was approaching them. ‘ _Oh Styx._ ’

Sadly, the Fates seemed to be enjoying her internal dilemma for the day. Luz jogged up to the pair and plowed into the Minotaur, wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug. Half her body seemed to disappear in the man-bull’s massively, thick coat of fur, but the god did not seem to care. Which, considering what Amity had witnessed of her character, made perfect sense. Her anger simmered for a moment, just enough for her to smile half-heartedly as Luz nuzzled the Minotaur’s side and pulled back. When Luz turned to face Amity, the goddess bit back a smirk to see her usually mussy hair was even more outrageous from the affectionate gesture.

“Hey, Amity!” Luz grinned at her. “You doing some training with Minnow?”

Amity raised an eyebrow at the man-bull. “‘Minnow’?”

The Minotaur huffed and Luz scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, when I was little, ‘Minotaur’ was hard for me to say, so I called him ‘Minnow’ instead, and it just stuck.”

“Ever the one for affectionate monikers,” Minnow said, patting Luz’s shoulder. Amity had no idea how the god was not being driven into the dirt from the sheer strength of the creature. “Our guest here was in need of an outlet and I offered my assistance. She is quite proficient, if not a little hot under the toga.”

Something about the way he said that pricked at the anger Amity thought had finally started to fade and she shot the Minotaur a glare, but he ignored it. Luz blinked and looked at Amity.

“You alright? Anything I can do? I’m no Goddess of Spring, but I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

A smart retort was on the tip of Amity’s tongue, but Minnow cut her off.

“Perhaps the two of you could spar for a bit? One god to another, to even the field. It’s been too long since I last saw our young ruler’s skills,” he ruffled Luz’s hair. “A simple sparring match between the two of you will help determine if she’s still up to it.”

Amity stared at the Minotaur as if he had suddenly grown three heads and started quoting the poet Sappho, but Luz’s already wide grin grew wider.

“That’s a great idea! I’d be up for some practice. What do you say, Amity? You up for a little sparring match?”

Perhaps it was the eager light in Luz’s eyes at the prospect of practicing together or the idea of using it to burn off her frustration that had Amity agreeing to participate. Whatever was the case, Amity found herself once again blocking the well-practiced strikes with a wooden staff. There was a difference she noticed between Minnow’s attacks and Luz’s; where Minnow took his time to watch her actions, Luz seemed more interested in improvising as she fought, literally bouncing back and forth as she swung, blocked, and jabbed.

The fact they stood at a much closer height to each other than Minnow did to Amity did seem to help, though Luz still had a good head or so on her. That meant Amity had to get in close to try to land a hit, and Luz always managed to dance out of the way, lightly rapping her with her bident. Her running commentary was not helping that much either.

“You’re doing great!”

“Don’t push yourself too much, your arm finally healed.”

“Whoops! Almost got me that time!”

A snarl rippled in Amity’s throat as she swung again, hating the fact Luz seemed to be in a perpetually happy state while she was seething. It didn’t help that this damn staff was too long! How Luz could wield her bident with the ease she used baffled Amity. She hated swinging the weapon around, it felt too awkward and slow. That was probably the reason why, when her backside hit the ground for the umpteenth time, Amity grabbed the wooden staff in both hands and brought the middle down onto her thigh. It split in two with a loud crack.

‘ _Much better,_ ’ she thought, feeling the balance of the two staff halves in her hands, and looked at Luz.

The god was staring at her with wide eyes, surprise evident in their brown depths. Minnow, who had been leaning a meaty shoulder against a nearby pillar, quirked an eyebrow.

“Interesting,” he muttered.

Shaking herself to refocus, Luz switched her grip on the bident, a new light flickering in her eyes as she watched Amity. They slowly circled each other, not daring to break their locked gaze. Amity lowered her left hand to hang by her thigh while her right hand lifted to hold the broken staff horizontal to Luz, as though it were a shield. Something about this, a weapon in each hand, felt right. She no longer felt distracted by the singular, long item she had to hold, now she felt freer and more open to move. That was how she caught Luz’s shift in weight and, when the bident swung, she was ready.

With one rod, Amity caught the shaft of the bident and swung into Luz’s exposed chest, giving the armor a solid whack that rang in her ears.

“Hit,” she rasped as Luz looked from her to the broken staff pressed to her bust. When the god looked back to her, a subtle orange glow shimmered in her eyes.

“Okay,” her smile turned feral. “So that’s how you want to do it?” The bident spun around and suddenly Amity found herself leaning back with the twin points barely kissing her throat, and Luz grinning at her over the weapon. “Hit.”

Amity used the broken staff to shove the bident away and darted in close, only forced at the last second to lunge back when Luz brought the butt of the weapon up, missing her legs just barely. They continued to dance around each other, landing one smarting hit after another on any opening they could find. Sparring was not something new to Amity, she had trained for years after learning she was chosen as Persephone’s successor. But all of that training had been in private with her friends and away from the prying eyes of her parents. Boscha and Willow, skilled fighters as they were, had been learning alongside her, leaving them to pass along their knowledge only when they could. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn on her own.

Ducking under another swing from Luz, Amity feinted as if she were to ram both rods against her stomach, causing the god to instinctively fold in on herself. At the last moment, Amity darted under Luz’s outstretched arm to stand shoulder to shoulder with her. Her left arm snaked under the god’s right elbow and, hooking her hand onto her forearm, Amity turned in towards Luz. The sudden change in direction sent Luz’s feet flying out from beneath her as her back slammed onto the ground, the bident clattering from her fingers. Amity kept Luz’s arm curled in on itself as she crouched beside her, her right knee up while her left was in the dirt, leaning over with an exhausted grin smugly etched on her lips. Luz gaped up at her in astonishment, sweat beading on their foreheads as their chests heaved to catch their breath. Amity held her broken staff to Luz’s throat and the god blinked.

“Wow,” Luz gasped, her warm breath tickling the loose strands that had come undone from Amity’s hair tie. “I did not see that coming. Could you show me how to do that?”

“Maybe,” Amity leaned closer. “But I’m not sure you’d be fast enough.”

Luz raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, grinning cheekily. “What? Afraid I’m gonna sweep you off your feet?”

The sound of slow clapping had them both looking up to see Eda standing next to Minnow, bored amusement on her face.

“Nice moves there Springy, but you think the two of you can wait until you're out of the gym to start making moves on each other? You’re gonna scare poor Minnow.”

“I was actually quite enjoying it,” the bull grunted, amused. 

Amity looked down at Luz and it was then that she realized the extreme lack of personal space between them. Instantly, Amity jolted back from Luz, who sat up abruptly, both their faces burning.

“Auntie!”

Eda let out a loud snort and waved her hand at the blushing gods. “C’mon kiddo, I need to talk to you about some important soul-related biz. Let’s let Springy get back to sparring before her head pops off and she turns into a hydra.”

Groaning, Luz grabbed her bident and got to her feet, using the weapon to stabilize herself. “Sorry, Amity, I gotta go.” Scratching her head, Luz offered a hand to the goddess, helping her stand. “Those were some cool moves with the double handed thing. I didn’t know anyone could do that.”

Amity rubbed her arms. “I’ve always been able to do it, something I was born with.”

“Really?” Luz stared at her. “How did you-”

“Hey kiddo, save the flirting for later! We’ve got an Underworld to run!”

“Coming, Auntie!” Shooting an apologetic look at Amity, Luz jogged out of the gymnasium and into the shadows of the building, disappearing from sight as she passed Minnow. The man-bull watched her over his shoulder before pushing off the pillar and walking up to Amity, an amused light still dancing in his eyes.

“So, feel better?”

* * *

Amity leaned back in the water, her sore muscles relaxing as she sighed with relief. Figures that the Underworld would have the best bath for her to take her comfort in after so many hours of sparring. Even with the many pools found in her father’s domain, none of them ever offered her the chance to fully drift away in blissful comfort as the one in the Underworld’s gymnasium.

After a few more hours of sparring, Minnow had deemed that she had spent more than enough time learning how to properly fight with both hands in the manner he called “dual wielding”. Detecting her fatigue, the Minotaur had pointed Amity towards the bath house.

“The baths are heated daily by the river of fire,” he said, pointing towards a large rectangular building. “There are many rich healing minerals in the water, perfect for after a long sparring session. Especially any that involves our young ruler.”

Deliberately avoiding the Minotaur’s eyes, Amity muttered a “thank you” and hurried off. When she had entered, there was a room stocked with robes and towels, and little shelves that she assumed were for storing her clothes. After undressing and tying the sash of a robe around her waist, Amity carefully folded her armor and toga and tucked it onto a low shelf. Steam wafted through the doorway at the opposite end of the room and, when Amity walked through it, she was greeted by the sight of an exceptionally large, and utterly vacant, laconica bath.

Steam billowed from the glass-like surface of the water, covering the walls and lofty ceiling in slick condensation. The floor was pocketed with rough patches of stone that offered enough stability so as to not send one skidding across the slick tiles. Seeing a bench against the wall, Amity pulled off her robe, folded it onto the seat, and carefully descended the wide, shallow steps into the hot water. Almost immediately, she felt her tender muscles relax and she sank down to her chin, thinking back to the sparring session between herself and Luz.

Where did that come from? How had she managed to somehow get the upper hand on the ruler of the Underworld, _in her own realm,_ when she herself still had much to learn? What did Luz mean when she asked if she was worried about being swept off her feet? Why did those words make Amity’s face burn?

Groaning to herself, Amity rolled over and began to swim through the water with sleek lazy strokes. Though the water was hot, it wasn’t boiling, and the long strokes felt nice for her muscles. Usually, when Amity would use the bath in the family temple, her siblings would almost always be there to tease her or distract her from fully relaxing. Now that she could actually have a space as large as this all to herself, she was going to enjoy it.

Taking a break after a few laps, Amity rested her elbows on the lip of the deep end and propped her chin on her forearm. She had let her hair down while changing, but her laurel was still tucked into the green locks. Maybe she could take it out for a bit? No one would see her without her mantle if she was the only one here. Her fingers brushed the soft gold of the laurel and began to pull it out of her hair, until something solid bumped into the square of her back.

“What the,” a voice sputtered as the intruder attempted to right herself in the water. “Amity?”

Arms quickly covering her breasts, Amity whipped around in the water and her jaw went slack. “Luz?!”

The Underworld’s ruler gaped at her as she treaded water, her dark hair plastered all about her forehead from swimming. Her bare shoulders glistened in the low lighting of the bathhouse, the steam flushing the dark tan of her skin, but did little to hide the well defined muscles rippling with each stroke. Amity felt her face ignite and reined in her focus before she lost her fight with the temptation to look further down.

“What- what are you doing here?” Oh no, she did not just ask that. “Well, I mean, I guess you live here, so of course it would make sense for you to be here. Since this is your palace and your realm, and I’m just a guest.” She’d been talking too long.

Luz grinned sheepishly and shoved her fingers through her bangs to comb them back. Which only served to stoke the intense heat burning in Amity’s cheeks - from the steam, of course. - “Sorry ‘bout that, I didn’t think you’d still be here. Are you okay with me joining you?”

Somehow Amity managed to pry her fingers from the divots she knew she was leaving in the wall of the pool and nodded. “Of course, this is your gymnasium after all.”

“Yeah,” Luz shrugged, lightly sloshing water. “But I don’t want to bother you if you’d rather be alone.”

The mental image of watching Luz leaving the bath hit Amity like a mallet; _hot water falling from well-defined muscles, her dark skin glistening in the steam, legs taking long strides, a smile pulling at her lips as she watched her closely_. Amity dunked her head under the water to stop the image from continuing. However, the second she did, she immediately resurfaced after making the mistake of opening her eyes under water.

‘ _Oh my dear, sweet, Titan.”_

“Amity?” Cautiously, Luz held out a hand to her. “You okay?”

“No! Yes! I’m...,” Biting her tongue, Amity scrubbed her face and sighed heavily. “I’m fine. Sorry Luz, I just wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. I thought you and Thanatos- Eda,” she corrected herself, “had some business to attend to?”

Drifting back to lean against the pool wall, Luz nodded. “We did, but it’s all good now. Some of the newer souls were getting a little restless, so I had to take care of it. But,” she waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing I haven’t done before. Some mortals aren’t so happy to accept their death, so it makes the transition a bit harder for them.”

“Does that happen often?”

Luz chewed her lip as she thought. “Yes and no, but more and more of the fresher souls aren’t making it easier.”

Amity frowned. “How do you mean?”

“Lets just say they had a very different idea of who and what Hades would look like and how the whole death thing works out.” Crossing her arms, Luz drifted over to a shallower portion of the pool to stand. “They don’t like that their lives ended and like to blame me for it. But,” she shook her head. “I’m used to it, and I do what I can to help them feel better.”

None of that sounded appealing at all to Amity as she studied the god across the pool. Now that her initial shyness had faded, though it still lurked in her mind, something on Luz’s exposed chest caught her eye. Just beneath Luz’s left collar bone was the dark smudge of a symbol, painted in the skin over her heart. A curved bident, cradling a circle between its two points, with a horizontal line bisecting its staff. The bident staff was a vibrant black against Luz's dark skin, but the cutting edge and the circle held there were nothing more than a faint outline.

The Mark of Hades.

It was said that when the Old Ones first made the decision to find their successors, they made it so the ones worthy of their powers would bear a special symbol as proof. Until the godling came into full power and accepted their role, the Mark would be nothing more than a faint outline on their body. Amity remembered that when her brother and sister had accepted their mantles, their Marks had become full. “Luz?”

The god looked to her. “Yeah?”

“Your God Mark,” Amity nodded to her. “Why is only half of it filled in?” She caught the guarded flash in Luz’s eyes before it was replaced by another sheepish grin.

“Oh, it’s because I haven’t reached my full potential yet.”

Amity’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. Just like her own Mark. “But, how is that possible if you have the mantle of Hades? Haven’t you been ruling the Underworld for half a century?”

“Yeah,” Luz rolled her shoulders, causing the symbol on her chest to shift and Amity’s eyes to linger in fascination as her cheeks flushed violently.“But, it’s a long story. I don’t think you want to hear it.” Her eyes slid back to Amity, curiosity shining through. “What about yours?”

Blinking, Amity stared at her. “My...what?”

“Your God Mark? It’s complete, right?”

All of the blood drained from Amity’s face and her ears flattened against her head. “No.”

“Oh.” The unexpected sympathy in Luz’s voice tugged at Amity’s heart, but her next question sent it into a racing cacophony. “Can I see it?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Why not? You saw mine.”

Amity’s head spun as blood flooded back to her cheeks, setting her blanched face aflame. “It’s in an… odd place.”

That only seemed to pique Luz’s curiosity further. “Where?”

“It’s...it’s beneath my…” Cheeks glowing, Amity clenched her fists, her eyes shut tight, and she mumbled the answer.

“Sorry,” Luz floated closer to her. “I didn’t hear that. Your...stomach?”

Amity shook her head. “Lower.”

“Your thigh?”

“That’s Aphrodite.”

“Huh…” Scratching her head, Luz shrugged. “I give up. Would it be...” A light blush painted her cheeks and Amity bit back a groan. “Your butt?”

“It’s under my navel.”

Luz’s eyes slowly widened and, before Amity could even move, she saw the god’s eyes dip below the water and the small blush exploded to swarm across her entire face. When her eyes snapped back up to lock with Amity’s startled ones, the god flailed back in the water, covering her face with her hands.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! That was- I didn’t mean to- I-”

“Luz? Are you in there?”

Amity and Luz jumped as Orpheus’ voice rang out from the changing room, the bard’s shadow appearing in the doorway. “Oh, I didn’t know you weren’t alone. I’ll come back.”

“It’s okay!” Amity yelped, cutting off whatever Luz was about to say. “I was just leaving!” Quickly, Amity shot across the pool and hauled her body out of the water, doing her best to ignore the fact that Luz was right next to her. Trying to be as fast as possible without slipping and falling on her ass, Amity grabbed her robe and bolted for the changing room. Orpheus adroitly ducked out of the goddess’ path as she all but ran past her, toweled off and dressed in record time, and darted out, away from the gymnasium.

By the Fates, could that have been any more embarrassing?

Amity did not stop until she reached the edge of the floating island on which the gymnasium was housed. She fought the urge to glance over her shoulder as the shadows stretched down from the palace to form a bridge for her to cross, and even then, she barely waited for it to be complete. The rolling mass shifted beneath her feet as she jogged up, face burning with shame.

Luz had seen her Mark. The very thing that was a foolproof sign one was chosen to become the god the symbol represented, and Luz had seen it was incomplete. Not to mention had deliberately _looked at it._ A God Mark below her navel was not exactly the easiest of places to have it and be able to share it with others. Amity remembered the prior Persephone telling her there was always a reason behind the location of the Mark, but she failed to understand why her Mark had to be in such a compromising place.

Then, there was Luz almost seeing her without her mantle. For some reason, that filled Amity with more dread as she stepped off the shadows and onto the main grounds of the palace. Ever since Persephone had left her the mantle, Amity refused to let any of the gods see her without it. The golden laurel was more than just a pretty decoration for her to wear, it was the thing that made her the Goddess of Spring, that showed the world who she was. She was not about to be seen as anyone else.

A flapping sound made Amity look up in time to watch a large, white bird soar over her and with a start she realized she had not only entered the palace, but was already deep within its halls. Exactly how long had she been wandering about? Had she been so lost in thought as to not watch where she was going? Or was this the palace changing around her? Seeing the bird disappear around a corner, Amity jogged after it, turning right as the bird landed in front of a partially open door and hopped inside.

“Hypnos,” Lilith’s voice trailed out. “What news do you have?”

Amity heard a series of low squawks from what was no doubt the bird and she approached the door, peering in through the crack. Lilith stood with her back to the door, holding up an arm for Hypnos to perch on as he chatted softly to her, his blue eyes glowing. A shape on the wall caught Amity’s eye and she looked up to see a large bow hanging across from the goddess, unstrung, its sleek wood painted black with what looked like blue flames spiraling down its shape.

The bearer of Nyx’s mantle was dressed in a different chiton than what Amity last saw her in; the same simple design of deep blue and black, but this one left her entire right shoulder blade uncovered and the sides dipped down low, almost showing the swell of her hips. The same stole from before hung from her arms, its starry design glinting in the low lighting. The shuffling of feet caused the goddess to turn to see Camila enter the room, her cloak no longer thrown over her right side, leaving her in a simple toga of soft teal.

For a moment, Amity stared at the previous Hades, unsure of what she was seeing, until it hit her and she had to cover her mouth to stop the gasp of shock. Where Camila’s right arm should have been, a round stump jutted out from her shoulder, the dark skin marred by a starry-shaped scar. Approaching Lilith from behind, Camila slipped her remaining arm around the goddess’ narrow waist and leaned into her back, pressing her lips to the exposed skin.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are in this dress?” Camila whispered huskily as Lilith visibly shivered.

Hypnos flew off her arm and disappeared out of sight for Lilith to rotate in Camila’s hold. Amity’s eyes widened and her face flushed to see that it was not only the shoulder blade that the dress left uncovered. She could see a single scar sliced across Lilith’s side, just above her left hip, visible from the low waist of the chiton.

“Only for you, my Hades,” Lilith said in a low tone, leaning down to brush a kiss to Camila’s lips, a hand against her cheek. “Of course, I know you also like it when I’m not wearing _any_ dress.”

Camila laughed low in her throat, her eyes half-lidded as her hand caressed the small of her lover’s back. “You know me too well, Nyx.”

The pair stood in a tender embrace, until Camila suddenly teetered. Embarrassment forgotten, Amity went to hurry in, but Lilith caught her love before the goddess even shoved open the door. “Dear, you need to rest. You shouldn’t be pushing yourself.”

Shaking her head as she forced her legs to stand, Camila tightened her hold on Lilith’s waist. “I’ll be fine,” Breathing slowly, her hand moved to the revealing cut at Lilith’s chest and gave it a tug. “Right now, I need you to be with me.”

A feral smile appeared on the Goddess of Night’s lips as Camila pulled her back to the large bed in the center of the room. “Tell me then, Hades, what do you have in mind?” Her hands gently pushed Camila’s shoulders to make her sit on the bed and moved to stand between her legs.

Amity shifted uncomfortably from her vantage point. She knew she shouldn’t be watching this, but something about the gentle intimacy kept her locked in place as Camila tilted her head and hummed deep in her throat.

Slowly, Lilith leaned forward and began peppering Camila’s face with kisses, trailing to the side of her face to trace her tongue along Camila’s ear and jawline before nipping her way down a slender neck. As she moved, slowly her shadow began to stretch out across the floor and away from them.

Amity felt something stir, deep within her gut, and ripped her eyes away from the moment of intimacy upon which she had unwittingly intruded. She fled the scene, hoping to leave the twisted feelings of guilt and shame, and something darker, behind her with the soft gasps and rising moans.

She wasn’t sure why she was so affected by this and she stubbornly kept her thoughts from turning to a tall, dark, and handsome - No.

She cut the thought off and turned her mind to another thing lingering at the forefront of her musings.

Amity could not get the image of Camila’s right arm, or what remained of it, out of her mind. What happened to her to cause such an injury? Had she been born with it? Was that linked to her strange bouts of weakness? It was not the first time Amity had seen Camila grow faint, it had happened the day she had arrived in the Underworld and a few other times since. Luz, Lilith, and Eda were all quick to catch her before she could fall, and she always tried to shoo them away, assuring she was alright.

‘ _Could it have something to do with why Luz became Hades so early?_ ’ Amity glanced out a nearby window to see the light cast from atop the palace was beginning to dim, the Underworld’s own take on the sunset. The floor then shifted beneath her feet, forcing Amity to catch herself on the wall until the marble settled and she groaned. How in the name of Olympus did Luz put up with this pseudo-living palace? It was ridiculous!

Feeling the floor shift again, Amity continued down the hall. Luz had told her if she focused on where she needed to go, the palace would take her there. Or, was it that it took her to where she needed to go? Groaning, Amity shoved her fingers through her hair.

“What I _need_ is to understand how this damn place works!” She turned a corner that led to a single door at the far end of the hall. “Finally!” Pushing opening the door, Amity took two steps out and came to a stop.

A single island hovered before her, buoyed in a river of flames that rolled together, curling out of sight to wrap around the palace and slowly spiral down into the darkness below. One lone building took up the entirety of the island and from it, Amity could hear the faint sound of metal hitting metal. Heatwaves rolled out from the open windows and wide archeways, distorting the air around her. Amity stared in awe at the forge and a bridge of shadows suddenly rushed out before her, forming a link between the two bodies of land. When Amity looked over her shoulder, the door to the palace was gone. Apparently it wanted her to go to the forge.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Like this day hasn’t been bad enough, let’s see what else can happen.”

The shadow bridge made quick work of carrying Amity to the forge, where heat poured from the building in a steady stream. It was only curiosity, she told herself, that led her closer and closer to see just who could stand the intensity of the river of fire. The moment she looked inside though, she wanted to dive headfirst into the pit of Tartarus.

‘ _Styx._ ’

Luz stood over a massive anvil, her arm swinging a hammer with surprisingly careful precision as she pounded the long rod of metal before her. Her eyes focused on the gleaming object without looking away for a second, keeping it in place with a pair of long tongs that pinched one end. The armor Amity had seen her in earlier was gone, leaving Luz in her white and violet lined toga, clinging to her back from the sweat of her exertion. Hefting the metal in the tongs, Luz turned her back to Amity, which the goddess was _not staring at_ , and walked to a long aqueduct that ran through the center of the room. Only, molten fire spilled through the stone funnel instead of water, dripping sparks to the rocky floor as Luz plunged the metal into the raging mass. After a few moments, Luz pulled the metal from the flames and paused to mop her brow with a rag but, as she turned, her eyes darted up to Amity.

The goddess let out an undignified squeak, but was frozen in place. Luz blinked and her face brightened into a wide smile; clearly her earlier embarrassment in the bath house was forgotten.

“Amity,” she greeted warmly, “what’re you doing here?”

Knowing she was, at this point, stranded, Amity sighed. “I got lost in the palace and I accidently stumbled upon your parents having a private moment.”

Luz raised an eyebrow at her, her head tilted in question, until comprehension dawned in her face. “Were they acting all lovey-dovey and gross?” When Amity nodded, she groaned, absently brushing her fingers through her hair. “Sorry, Amity.”

“It’s okay,” her cheeks warmed at the fresh memory of their tender embrace and she shook her head to rid it of the thought. “It’s nice to see that your family loves each other so much. You’re very lucky to have them, Luz.”

“Eh, they can be annoying and kinda embarrassing. But yeah,” the god nodded. “I love them. Do your parents act all goofy like that too?”

All the warmth from the fires vanished from Amity’s body as if ice had crawled into her stomach. Her fingers clenched the wall and she looked away. “My family isn't into expressing love, or any emotions, really. They’d prefer to just be seen and feared for their power and let the mortals worship them as they should.”

“But, they’re your family. ” Luz said when Amity gave her a questioning look. “Even the gods watch out for their families, just like they do for the mortals, right?”

Amity could feel Luz’s eyes on her as she focused on the ground beneath her feet. Watching out for each other, openly showing love and devotion, it was all so foreign to her. She envied her friends who had kind, caring parents, lucky enough that even with their godhood they still managed to act as a family ought to. Her family did none of that. Her brother and sister had a purpose since birth, but she was just an addition, something to help further her parents agenda.

Warmth suddenly folded around her, jolting Amity from her stupor as she was pulled against Luz’s chest, the god holding her in a tight hug. Amity didn’t even hear her set down what she was working on and cross the room. Startled, the goddess froze as she tried to comprehend the sudden gesture when Luz’s voice whispered in her ear.

“I’m sorry, Amity.”

Amity blinked. “Sorry for what?” She fought the shiver that threatened to crawl up her spine as Luz’s warm breath brushed her neck.

“Your family,” said Luz. “Are they why you ran from Olympus?”

“It’s not that simple, Luz.” Amity sighed, her arms hanging limp at her sides, not sure where to place them. “I didn’t ‘run away’ from Olympus just because my family was difficult. There are other reasons. Reasons that, if I went back, would cause me to lose my mantle.” She swallowed, shutting her eyes at the horrid thoughts of what awaited her should she return. A fate worse than death.

Carefully, Luz pulled back to meet Amity’s eyes. Those earthen orbs studied her face carefully, a softness shining through that tugged the goddess’ heart in a way that was both painful and comforting. “I won’t let them hurt you, I promise. I know the Underworld isn’t Olympus, but, should you ever need or want another family, you have ours.”

“Luz, I-” Amity raised her eyes to meet her, but her attention was captured by something over her shoulder. Unconsciously, she placed a hand on Luz’s bicep to steady herself as she stood on tiptoe to peer past the god. “Something’s on fire.”

“Well, it is a forge, Amity.”

Rolling her eyes, Amity grabbed Luz’s shoulders and spun her around. “Not that.” The rag Luz had used lay on the anvil beside the sheet of hot metal, or at least what was left of it.

“Styx!” Luz bolted for the scorched cloth, grabbing it with a pair of tongs and plunging it into a nearby vat of water, shooting a cloud of steam into her face. When Luz shot Amity a sheepish look over her shoulder, her face was covered in a mask of water droplets. “That’s one way to clear the sinuses. At least I didn’t lose my eyebrows this time.”

A surprised laugh escaped Amity’s lips and she doubled over with mirth as Luz shook her head, scattering the water. Soon, the two gods were giggling, the tense air around them scattering.

Eventually, Amity found herself sitting by the forge, watching Luz as she worked with the metal pole, continuously pounding it with the hammer before pausing to take it to the fire or place it in the water vat. The focused gaze Luz kept on her project, how her eyes never left the metal, the way she seemed to hammer the object with powerful yet careful swings. It should have baffled Amity to see the sobriety Luz held for her work, considering the wild and quirky behaviors she had seen so far, and yet, for some reason, it made sense. She had seen the evidence that Luz was indeed Hades with the Mark, incomplete as it was. To think that the ruler of the Underworld would be so kind and caring, so fiercely determined, somehow, with Luz, it fit.

“What are you working on?” Amity eyed the shining metal as Luz drew it from the fire once more.

A devious grin appeared on Luz’s face and she winked. “You’ll find out.”

It took two more failed attempts to guess what Luz was creating before Amity finally gave up and wandered about the large room, taking in the different projects that were scattered about in various stages of creation. Large chunks of heavy obsidian and iron sat on a wide table, spread out to display the available sizes. A small desk littered with papers that offered many different designs for weapons, shields, and pieces of armor. Amity wondered if Luz was the one who had drawn all these designs, or if some belonged to her mother, or even, the first Hades?

The heat from the forge and the rhythmic pounding of hammer against metal swirled around Amity, and her eyes slowly began to grow heavy, losing their focus on Luz. Either their sparring match from earlier and all the embarrassment of the day was finally starting to catch up with her, or she finally found the will to relax. Whatever the cause, Amity soon had her fist pressed against her cheek as she leaned on her arm trying to stay upright as the sound of metal on metal became a soothing lullaby.

To dream as a god was a strange concept. Dreaming was for mortals; to dream and receive visions from their patron, messages of what had been or what could be. Gods simply did not dream, only sleep. So, if that was true, why did Amity feel like she was floating, wrapped in a warm blanket of comfort that held her close with a gentle beat in her ear?

Air rushed around her for a moment and then she felt her body being lowered onto something soft that gave way beneath her like a cloud. Stirring, Amity cracked open one eye to see Luz standing over her, pulling the blankets of her bed up to her shoulders. Her armor sat in a careful pile on the low table in front of the divan, her magenta stole folded beside them. Seeing her stir, Luz smiled and tucked the sheets beneath the goddess’ chin.

“Luz?”

Luz smiled at her and Amity felt the bed shift as the god stood and dimmed the lights with an elegant twirl of her wrist. The god rested gentle eyes on her once more before murmuring “Rest well,” before loping from the room.

Amity tried to keep her eyes open long enough to see Luz leave, but her consciousness wavered and soon, she was asleep.

* * *

Luz closed the door as quietly as she could, careful not to disturb Amity as she slept. She hadn’t expected the goddess to stay with her in the forge, and by the time she had noticed how late it was, Amity was already dozing. It had been a quick trip from the forge to the palace and into Amity’s bedroom, such was the beauty of shadow magic. A trait Luz knew she got from her adoptive mother. She had asked her moms what made it possible, how her powers had been shared.

“Simple, my little shade,” Lilith said, gently smoothing back Luz’s hair. “Your mother and I wanted to make you a god, and so we did.”

Of course, that then led to her moms making mooney eyes, as Eda called it, and Luz walked away, shaking her head as their talk of love faded into the background. It was nice, Luz had admitted many times to herself, to share the power of shadows. Not only was it useful in a fight, as Lilith had helped her learn to control, but also for traveling quickly. The halls of the palace were silent as its inhabitants had long since retired for the night. So, with hardly a second thought, Luz took a single step and allowed the shadows to rise up around her.

Darkness filled her vision for a moment and fell away, leaving her in her room, where a single torch burned. The dark, violet curtains used to block out the daylight shifted in the breeze that drifted up from the Asphodel Fields. Walking over to the mannequin that held her armor, Luz undid the clasp over her left shoulder that held her cape in place and draped it over the black metal, resting the bident against its side. Her eyes lingered on the right of the breastplate and the shoulder guard, or, where it would have been. A large fracture ran along the top right side, missing a third of what should have been the three heads of Cerberus carved in the center. Luz remembered seeing the shattered remains of the shoulder guard on the ground in a pool of blood, her mami’s right arm a pulpy mess of shredded muscle and bone, her chest glistening crimson.

Shaking her head and turning around, Luz knelt to undo her sandals, when a sudden flutter of wings followed by a quiet “Hoot!” made her look up. Perched on the railing of the balcony was a small, brown owl, a tightly-bound scroll clutched in his tiny beak.

“Owlbert!” Luz jumped up, holding out her arm in invitation, and the owl flew to land on her forearm. “Where you been, bud? Auntie was starting to look for you.” She looked at the scroll he held and observed its seal with the symbol of a single olive branch. Taking it from him, Luz unwound the scroll and scanned the message written in neat handwriting.

_Luz,_

_Is Amity with you in the Underworld?_

_\- W_

**Author's Note:**

> A collaborative work by SilverWolfPen and Tripower.  
> Story by: Tripower and SilverWolfPen  
> Written by: SilverWolfPen  
> Illustrations by: Tripower


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